24 dec 2012
In first, former chief rabbi charged with fraud
Former Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi Doron
For the first time ever, a former chief rabbi of Israel was charged with fraud on Monday for his suspected part in a bonus-scam that allegedly swindled hundreds of millions of shekels from the government in civil servants’ wages.
Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron is suspected of being involved in the scam, known as “the rabbis’ case,” which included the issuing of false rabbinic credentials to over 1,000 police and security services employees. The extra honorific entitled them to wage bonuses of NIS 2,000-4,000 ($530-$1060) a month.
As a result the government paid out hundreds of million of additional shekels to the civil servants.
The case marks the first time that a chief rabbi of Israel has been indicted.
Bakshi-Doron served as Sephardi chief rabbi of Israel from 1998 to 2003 and, as head of the Chief Rabbinical Council of Israel, authorized the issuance of the rabbinic credentials.
According to the indictment, many of those who were issued with the bonus-earning credentials did not come close to having the necessary qualifications. However, Bakshi-Doron, 72, admitted ordering officials to “turn a blind eye” and rubber-stamp the necessary paperwork.
In 2007 indictments were served against 10 individuals involved in the ongoing investigation. According to Maariv, although he was questioned at the time, investigators decided that there was not enough evidence to prosecute Bakshi-Doron for any wrongdoing. However, at a later date, while giving testimony in court during the trial of those who were charged, the rabbi contradicted some of his earlier statements, whereupon the attorney general decided to press charges.
For the first time ever, a former chief rabbi of Israel was charged with fraud on Monday for his suspected part in a bonus-scam that allegedly swindled hundreds of millions of shekels from the government in civil servants’ wages.
Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron is suspected of being involved in the scam, known as “the rabbis’ case,” which included the issuing of false rabbinic credentials to over 1,000 police and security services employees. The extra honorific entitled them to wage bonuses of NIS 2,000-4,000 ($530-$1060) a month.
As a result the government paid out hundreds of million of additional shekels to the civil servants.
The case marks the first time that a chief rabbi of Israel has been indicted.
Bakshi-Doron served as Sephardi chief rabbi of Israel from 1998 to 2003 and, as head of the Chief Rabbinical Council of Israel, authorized the issuance of the rabbinic credentials.
According to the indictment, many of those who were issued with the bonus-earning credentials did not come close to having the necessary qualifications. However, Bakshi-Doron, 72, admitted ordering officials to “turn a blind eye” and rubber-stamp the necessary paperwork.
In 2007 indictments were served against 10 individuals involved in the ongoing investigation. According to Maariv, although he was questioned at the time, investigators decided that there was not enough evidence to prosecute Bakshi-Doron for any wrongdoing. However, at a later date, while giving testimony in court during the trial of those who were charged, the rabbi contradicted some of his earlier statements, whereupon the attorney general decided to press charges.
7 dec 2012
Military Rabbinate rejects gay rabbi
Rabbi Ron Yosef
Head of organization aiding Orthodox Jewish homosexuals asks to address religious soldiers, but turned down. IDF rabbi's assistant: Rabbinate 'not interested in provoking public rows'.
The Military Rabbinate is refusing to allow a gay rabbi to give lectures at Israel Defense Forces bases: Rabbi Ron Yosef, head of the Hod organization which aids Orthodox Jewish homosexuals, has asked to address religious and haredi soldiers in recent months – but has been turned down. An officer in the Military Rabbinate tried to mediate between Rabbi Yosef and Chief Military Rabbi Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz after meeting with the rabbi about a year ago, listening to his views and considering his request.
The circumstances of the Military Rabbinate's refusal were revealed in a document transferred by IDF Ombudsman Brigadier-General (Res.) Yitzhak Brik to an officer in the corps providing religious services to soldiers.
Captain Ofer Han, the chief military rabbi's assistant, explained to the IDF ombudsman that "the chief military rabbi receives many requests from different people, including different rabbis. He says that although he does not meet with every person requesting a meeting, he did hold a one-hour meeting with Rabbi Ron Yosef to discuss different issues related to the army.
"It should be stressed that the chief military rabbi found the time to meet with Rabbi Yosef in light of the importance he attaches to this issue."
In spite of the said meeting, the Chief Rabbinate decided not to allow Rabbi Yosef to lecture in the army. According to an explanation provided by Brigadier-General Peretz's assistant, "the chief military rabbi has been put in charge of the approval of rabbis' entry into IDF bases – in a personal decision made by the chief of staff – in a bid to prevent the entry of rabbinical elements which may evoke disputes."
Captain Han added in his response to the IDF ombudsman that "at such delicate times, in which the Military Rabbinate is in the eye of many storms and is strictly examined in every move it takes, there is a problem allowing a person like Rabbi Ron Yosef to enter IDF bases.
"Even if there is no fundamental problem with his opinions and conduct, the Military Rabbinate is not interested in provoking public rows which may be sparked following his lectures in IDF bases."
Other rabbis allowed in
Head of organization aiding Orthodox Jewish homosexuals asks to address religious soldiers, but turned down. IDF rabbi's assistant: Rabbinate 'not interested in provoking public rows'.
The Military Rabbinate is refusing to allow a gay rabbi to give lectures at Israel Defense Forces bases: Rabbi Ron Yosef, head of the Hod organization which aids Orthodox Jewish homosexuals, has asked to address religious and haredi soldiers in recent months – but has been turned down. An officer in the Military Rabbinate tried to mediate between Rabbi Yosef and Chief Military Rabbi Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz after meeting with the rabbi about a year ago, listening to his views and considering his request.
The circumstances of the Military Rabbinate's refusal were revealed in a document transferred by IDF Ombudsman Brigadier-General (Res.) Yitzhak Brik to an officer in the corps providing religious services to soldiers.
Captain Ofer Han, the chief military rabbi's assistant, explained to the IDF ombudsman that "the chief military rabbi receives many requests from different people, including different rabbis. He says that although he does not meet with every person requesting a meeting, he did hold a one-hour meeting with Rabbi Ron Yosef to discuss different issues related to the army.
"It should be stressed that the chief military rabbi found the time to meet with Rabbi Yosef in light of the importance he attaches to this issue."
In spite of the said meeting, the Chief Rabbinate decided not to allow Rabbi Yosef to lecture in the army. According to an explanation provided by Brigadier-General Peretz's assistant, "the chief military rabbi has been put in charge of the approval of rabbis' entry into IDF bases – in a personal decision made by the chief of staff – in a bid to prevent the entry of rabbinical elements which may evoke disputes."
Captain Han added in his response to the IDF ombudsman that "at such delicate times, in which the Military Rabbinate is in the eye of many storms and is strictly examined in every move it takes, there is a problem allowing a person like Rabbi Ron Yosef to enter IDF bases.
"Even if there is no fundamental problem with his opinions and conduct, the Military Rabbinate is not interested in provoking public rows which may be sparked following his lectures in IDF bases."
Other rabbis allowed in
|
Chief Military Rabbi Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz
The officer who delivered the complaint said that the refusal to approve Rabbi Yosef's request was puzzling, in light of the fact that various rabbis – some of whom had lashed out at the legal system or urged troops to refuse orders – had given lectures to hundreds of soldiers in IDF bases and posts in the past year. |
Rabbi Ron Yosef said in response that "in the five years since its establishment, the Hod organization has received at least 124 appeals form religious gay soldiers asking for our help, 37 of them serving in the Military Rabbinate and 55 in regular military service or career service.
"We received requests from military sources to lecture at the bases, and were told that the units' rabbis refused without providing a justified cause. Therefore, we raised the request in a meeting with the chief military rabbi."
Rabbi Yosef added that "Hod, which is not a special care organization, and works in full cooperation with rabbis and professionals, believes that the IDF – including the Military Rabbinate – must help religious gay soldiers in general, and particularly in light of the fact that many haredi troops are about to join the army ranks soon."
The IDF Spokesperson's Office said in response that "the request was submitted to the Military Rabbinate, which turned it over to the Education Corps, which according to army regulations is in charge of educational activities and lectures at IDF bases. When the request is submitted in the acceptable way, it will be examined accordingly."
A military sources added, "The Military Rabbinate is unauthorized to discuss such requests and therefore the appeal was directed to the Education Corps. The request was not submitted to the chief military rabbi."
"We received requests from military sources to lecture at the bases, and were told that the units' rabbis refused without providing a justified cause. Therefore, we raised the request in a meeting with the chief military rabbi."
Rabbi Yosef added that "Hod, which is not a special care organization, and works in full cooperation with rabbis and professionals, believes that the IDF – including the Military Rabbinate – must help religious gay soldiers in general, and particularly in light of the fact that many haredi troops are about to join the army ranks soon."
The IDF Spokesperson's Office said in response that "the request was submitted to the Military Rabbinate, which turned it over to the Education Corps, which according to army regulations is in charge of educational activities and lectures at IDF bases. When the request is submitted in the acceptable way, it will be examined accordingly."
A military sources added, "The Military Rabbinate is unauthorized to discuss such requests and therefore the appeal was directed to the Education Corps. The request was not submitted to the chief military rabbi."
9 oct 2012
Military Rabbinate hit by 'porn scandal'
Officer violated IDF orders
Junior officer says Military Rabbinate officials tried to get him to leave corps after his commander used his personal computer to visit porn sites.
The IDF's Military Advocate General Corps is deliberating which measures to take against an officer from the Military Rabbinate, who was caught visiting porn websites several times recently.
Ynet has learned that the officer is suspected of surfing the sites at his base from the personal computer of one of his subordinates, without that junior officer's permission or knowledge.
The incident was revealed following a complaint filed about two weeks ago by the junior officer, Lieutenant N., against his commander who serves in a more senior role in the Military Rabbinate. The complaint was submitted to IDF Ombudsman Brigadier-General (Res.) Yitzhak Brik.
The complaint is also directed at Military Rabbinate officials, including Chief Military Rabbi Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz and head of the Military Rabbinate Corps Colonel Uri Horowitz, as the junior officer claimed that Military Rabbinate officials demanded that he leave the corps following the embarrassing incident.
According to the complaint, the senior officer, who holds the rank of major, violated IDF orders which ban soldiers from visiting porn sites or watching pornographic movies.
The Military Advocate General Corps must now decide whether to handle the case on the criminal, disciplinary or command level.
The junior officer says he has unequivocal proof that his commander watched the films at their office in the base.
The IDF Ombudsman's Office said in response, "A complaint on the matter has been submitted to IDF Ombudsman Brigadier-General (Res.) Yitzhak Brik. The suspected offense mentioned in the complaint is not within the ombudsman's authority and it will therefore be passed on to the Military Advocate General Corps."
Junior officer says Military Rabbinate officials tried to get him to leave corps after his commander used his personal computer to visit porn sites.
The IDF's Military Advocate General Corps is deliberating which measures to take against an officer from the Military Rabbinate, who was caught visiting porn websites several times recently.
Ynet has learned that the officer is suspected of surfing the sites at his base from the personal computer of one of his subordinates, without that junior officer's permission or knowledge.
The incident was revealed following a complaint filed about two weeks ago by the junior officer, Lieutenant N., against his commander who serves in a more senior role in the Military Rabbinate. The complaint was submitted to IDF Ombudsman Brigadier-General (Res.) Yitzhak Brik.
The complaint is also directed at Military Rabbinate officials, including Chief Military Rabbi Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz and head of the Military Rabbinate Corps Colonel Uri Horowitz, as the junior officer claimed that Military Rabbinate officials demanded that he leave the corps following the embarrassing incident.
According to the complaint, the senior officer, who holds the rank of major, violated IDF orders which ban soldiers from visiting porn sites or watching pornographic movies.
The Military Advocate General Corps must now decide whether to handle the case on the criminal, disciplinary or command level.
The junior officer says he has unequivocal proof that his commander watched the films at their office in the base.
The IDF Ombudsman's Office said in response, "A complaint on the matter has been submitted to IDF Ombudsman Brigadier-General (Res.) Yitzhak Brik. The suspected offense mentioned in the complaint is not within the ombudsman's authority and it will therefore be passed on to the Military Advocate General Corps."
31 aug 2012
Religious Israeli government party wary of war with Iran
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish party Shas.
By Dan Williams
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Israel's coalition government is wary of plans for possible military strikes on Iran, political sources said on Thursday.
Reservations by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the top spiritual authority for the Shas party, could be an obstacle to any attempt by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to get security cabinet approval for hitting Iran's nuclear sites.
"He believes the price would be too high, and for an action that may not achieve its goal," said a person briefed on discussions inside the Shas party, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Israeli leaders have long weighed the possible benefits of striking Iran with the operational and diplomatic risks, and officials say Netanyahu's inner council of nine senior ministers is split -- a harbinger of deadlock should he seek a vote.
While most ministers might individually be persuaded to reconsider, those from Shas, the third-biggest coalition partner, are subject to Yosef's instructions.
Asked about the rabbi's opposition, which was reported by Israel's Channel 10 television and corroborated to Reuters by two political sources, Shas party leader and deputy prime minister Eli Yishai was reticent.
"I cannot confirm or not confirm any report about Iran. I think that this chatter is doing us great damage," Yishai told Israel's Army Radio in an interview.
But he indicated that Shas -- and the Netanyahu government as a whole -- had yet to decide on whether to strike the Islamic republic which it believes is developing nuclear weapons technology that could be a threat to Israel's existence.
Netanyahu's office declined comment.
Decision pending
Yosef, a 91-year-old former Israeli chief rabbi, gave a sermon on Saturday calling for next month's Jewish holidays to include prayers for the destruction of Iran, "those evil ones who threaten Israel".
Though often hawkish in tone, Yosef has in the past broken with Israeli ultra-nationalists by calling on Israel to cede occupied land for peace with the Palestinians and spare lives.
Yishai, a member of Netanyahu's inner council and the 14-member security cabinet that would vote on striking Iran, was last year videotaped telling Shas supporters that his worries about a flare-up with Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria were making it "difficult to sleep".
Despite having an advanced military which is widely reputed to include the region's sole atomic arsenal, Israel would be hard put to fend off a multi-front missile war sparked by an attack on Iran.
Washington, which is pressing the diplomatic rather than military option, has warned Israel against acting unilaterally.
Moshe Yaalon, another deputy Israeli prime minister, said on Wednesday the debate about whether and how to tackle Iran was ongoing.
"The situation today is not the same as a year ago and is not the same as it will be in a month or two months' time," Yaalon told Army Radio.
"So when we will have to discuss the matter -- and I hope we will not be forced to take a decision of this type -- we will know if we have a majority or we don't have a majority and we will know what we are deciding."
By Dan Williams
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Israel's coalition government is wary of plans for possible military strikes on Iran, political sources said on Thursday.
Reservations by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the top spiritual authority for the Shas party, could be an obstacle to any attempt by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to get security cabinet approval for hitting Iran's nuclear sites.
"He believes the price would be too high, and for an action that may not achieve its goal," said a person briefed on discussions inside the Shas party, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Israeli leaders have long weighed the possible benefits of striking Iran with the operational and diplomatic risks, and officials say Netanyahu's inner council of nine senior ministers is split -- a harbinger of deadlock should he seek a vote.
While most ministers might individually be persuaded to reconsider, those from Shas, the third-biggest coalition partner, are subject to Yosef's instructions.
Asked about the rabbi's opposition, which was reported by Israel's Channel 10 television and corroborated to Reuters by two political sources, Shas party leader and deputy prime minister Eli Yishai was reticent.
"I cannot confirm or not confirm any report about Iran. I think that this chatter is doing us great damage," Yishai told Israel's Army Radio in an interview.
But he indicated that Shas -- and the Netanyahu government as a whole -- had yet to decide on whether to strike the Islamic republic which it believes is developing nuclear weapons technology that could be a threat to Israel's existence.
Netanyahu's office declined comment.
Decision pending
Yosef, a 91-year-old former Israeli chief rabbi, gave a sermon on Saturday calling for next month's Jewish holidays to include prayers for the destruction of Iran, "those evil ones who threaten Israel".
Though often hawkish in tone, Yosef has in the past broken with Israeli ultra-nationalists by calling on Israel to cede occupied land for peace with the Palestinians and spare lives.
Yishai, a member of Netanyahu's inner council and the 14-member security cabinet that would vote on striking Iran, was last year videotaped telling Shas supporters that his worries about a flare-up with Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria were making it "difficult to sleep".
Despite having an advanced military which is widely reputed to include the region's sole atomic arsenal, Israel would be hard put to fend off a multi-front missile war sparked by an attack on Iran.
Washington, which is pressing the diplomatic rather than military option, has warned Israel against acting unilaterally.
Moshe Yaalon, another deputy Israeli prime minister, said on Wednesday the debate about whether and how to tackle Iran was ongoing.
"The situation today is not the same as a year ago and is not the same as it will be in a month or two months' time," Yaalon told Army Radio.
"So when we will have to discuss the matter -- and I hope we will not be forced to take a decision of this type -- we will know if we have a majority or we don't have a majority and we will know what we are deciding."
29 aug 2012
Abbas to rabbis: "Israel is here to stay"
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas received in Ramallah a group of rabbis including the eldest daughter of the extremist Rabbi Ovadia Yosef who had wished death for all Palestinians.
Hebrew media said that during the meeting on Monday Abbas expressed hope to one day meet with the Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef two years after he wished him dead where he said in 2010 “May all the nasty people who hate Israel, such as Abbas, vanish from our world. May God strike them down with the plague along with all the nasty Palestinians who persecute Israel.”
Abbas said he wished no harm to Israel. “Israel is here to stay, no matter what certain extremists say.”
Referring to the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Abbas said, “It is not that there is one state too many in the region, rather that there is one state too few,” the Israeli TV Channel 2 reported.
Also present at the meeting were Rabbi Menachem Froman, the chief rabbi of the settlement of Tekoa; former MK Rabbi Michael Melchior; and the head of the Eretz Shalom organization, Nachum Pechenik.
Hamas demands Abbas apology for his statements
Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for Hamas movement, stated that the remarks made by PA President Mahmoud Abbas about the Hebrew state's right in the Palestinian land ran contrary to national consensus.
Abbas had said that "Israel is here to stay" during his meeting with Jewish Rabbis at the presidency headquarters in Ramallah on Monday.
Abbas's remarks reflect the state of harmony between him and the Israeli occupation, Abu Zuhri told PIC on Wednesday.
Hamas' spokesman said Abbas's remarks have shocked the Palestinian people, and asked him to apologize.
For its part, the Palestinian government in Gaza strongly condemned, in a statement after its weekly meeting held under premier Ismail Haneyya, the statements of president Abbas and said that he must apologize to the Palestinian people for taking such a position.
In the West Bank, MP Dr. Mahmoud al-Ramahi, the secretary of the Palestinian Legislative Council, denounced Abbas's statements.
Ramahi, commenting on Abbas’s statement that Israel is here to stay, said that there is no place for the Israeli occupation on the Palestinian land.
He called on Abbas to re-consider his statements that do not serve the Palestinian cause, stressing the illegitimacy of the Israeli occupation.
Hebrew media said that during the meeting on Monday Abbas expressed hope to one day meet with the Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef two years after he wished him dead where he said in 2010 “May all the nasty people who hate Israel, such as Abbas, vanish from our world. May God strike them down with the plague along with all the nasty Palestinians who persecute Israel.”
Abbas said he wished no harm to Israel. “Israel is here to stay, no matter what certain extremists say.”
Referring to the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Abbas said, “It is not that there is one state too many in the region, rather that there is one state too few,” the Israeli TV Channel 2 reported.
Also present at the meeting were Rabbi Menachem Froman, the chief rabbi of the settlement of Tekoa; former MK Rabbi Michael Melchior; and the head of the Eretz Shalom organization, Nachum Pechenik.
Hamas demands Abbas apology for his statements
Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for Hamas movement, stated that the remarks made by PA President Mahmoud Abbas about the Hebrew state's right in the Palestinian land ran contrary to national consensus.
Abbas had said that "Israel is here to stay" during his meeting with Jewish Rabbis at the presidency headquarters in Ramallah on Monday.
Abbas's remarks reflect the state of harmony between him and the Israeli occupation, Abu Zuhri told PIC on Wednesday.
Hamas' spokesman said Abbas's remarks have shocked the Palestinian people, and asked him to apologize.
For its part, the Palestinian government in Gaza strongly condemned, in a statement after its weekly meeting held under premier Ismail Haneyya, the statements of president Abbas and said that he must apologize to the Palestinian people for taking such a position.
In the West Bank, MP Dr. Mahmoud al-Ramahi, the secretary of the Palestinian Legislative Council, denounced Abbas's statements.
Ramahi, commenting on Abbas’s statement that Israel is here to stay, said that there is no place for the Israeli occupation on the Palestinian land.
He called on Abbas to re-consider his statements that do not serve the Palestinian cause, stressing the illegitimacy of the Israeli occupation.
26 aug 2012
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: Pray for the destruction of Iran
Shas spiritual leader calls on followers to ask God to wipe out "evil ones who threaten Israel," in their Rosh Hashana prayers.
Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef called on his followers on Saturday night to include prayers to God on Rosh Hashana to destroy Iran and their Hezbollah proxy in Lebanon, Army Radio reported on Sunday.
According to the report, Rabbi Yosef received an update from National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror detailing the importance of attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, and calling on him to pray for the destruction of Iran.
The update followed a meeting between the two, and was most likely aimed at gaining Shas’s support for a strike.
The Rabbi responded during his weekly address: “When we say the blessing over the dates at our Rosh Hashana meal this year, and we ask God to ‘bring an end to our enemies,’ we should be thinking about Iran, those evil ones who threaten Israel. May the Lord destroy them.”
The blessing over the date, tamar in Hebrew, is that God "put an end to the enemies, haters and those who wish evil" upon the Israelites.
Last Saturday, during his weekly Torah lesson, Yosef briefly mentioned as an aside the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
“A second Haman, also from Persia, intends to do evil to us,” he said in reference to a Persian enemy of the Jewish people recorded in the Biblical book of Esther.
“We need to stand in prayer with all our hearts before God,” he continued. “A second Haman, also from Persia, intends to do evil to us,” he said in reference to a Persian enemy of the Jewish people recorded in the Biblical book of Esther. “We need to stand in prayer with all our hearts before God,” he continued.
Coalition chairman MK Ze’ev Elkin commented last week on an ongoing dialogue between the Prime Minister's Office and the Shas spiritual leader.
“I know that the prime minister is conducting talks with Shas leaders, and certainly with the rabbi,” Elkin told Kikar Hashabbat. “If and when the day comes, he will present the rabbi with all the facts and information,” the MK added, referring to a possible Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef called on his followers on Saturday night to include prayers to God on Rosh Hashana to destroy Iran and their Hezbollah proxy in Lebanon, Army Radio reported on Sunday.
According to the report, Rabbi Yosef received an update from National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror detailing the importance of attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, and calling on him to pray for the destruction of Iran.
The update followed a meeting between the two, and was most likely aimed at gaining Shas’s support for a strike.
The Rabbi responded during his weekly address: “When we say the blessing over the dates at our Rosh Hashana meal this year, and we ask God to ‘bring an end to our enemies,’ we should be thinking about Iran, those evil ones who threaten Israel. May the Lord destroy them.”
The blessing over the date, tamar in Hebrew, is that God "put an end to the enemies, haters and those who wish evil" upon the Israelites.
Last Saturday, during his weekly Torah lesson, Yosef briefly mentioned as an aside the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
“A second Haman, also from Persia, intends to do evil to us,” he said in reference to a Persian enemy of the Jewish people recorded in the Biblical book of Esther.
“We need to stand in prayer with all our hearts before God,” he continued. “A second Haman, also from Persia, intends to do evil to us,” he said in reference to a Persian enemy of the Jewish people recorded in the Biblical book of Esther. “We need to stand in prayer with all our hearts before God,” he continued.
Coalition chairman MK Ze’ev Elkin commented last week on an ongoing dialogue between the Prime Minister's Office and the Shas spiritual leader.
“I know that the prime minister is conducting talks with Shas leaders, and certainly with the rabbi,” Elkin told Kikar Hashabbat. “If and when the day comes, he will present the rabbi with all the facts and information,” the MK added, referring to a possible Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
23 aug 2012
Putting modern Zionism on trial in Israel
Theodor Herzl in Basel. Would the father of modern Zionism be satisfied with what’s become of Israel?
By Rabbi Gideon D. Sylvester
Instead of calling foul against the journalists and human rights groups who claim to expose injustices, we should engage with them, showing that we genuinely care about our moral integrity.
Imagine waking up to discover that your parents are on trial for serious crimes. For years, they have shielded you from the facts, but now there is no mistaking the situation. Close friends and family remain as supportive as ever, but walking down the street, you notice your neighbors crossing the road and averting their eyes.
"Zionism," on whose knees I was raised, has, in some circles, become a "boo word". It is associated with every nasty accusation made against the State of Israel and its relations with Palestinians, Israeli Arabs, Bedouins and refugees. Even some of our Jewish friends now avoid the term.
This is not the way it was meant to be. The father of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl dedicated his efforts to providing a safe haven from anti-Semitism, but he was sensitive to the injustices facing other peoples. He wrote about the suffering of black slaves and declared that once a Jewish state was established, his next project would be to assist African peoples achieve their freedom.
Herzl did not live to fulfill all his dreams, and his successors found the work of building and safeguarding the Jewish State to be formidable, leaving them little time for other concerns. But Herzl's liberal sentiments remained at the heart of the project. Even Zionism's most hawkish leaders believed that the nascent Jewish state must be just and fair to all its inhabitants. On the day that the state was declared, Menachem Begin declared:
"There must be no man within our country – be he citizen or foreigner compelled to go hungry, to want for a roof over his head, or to lack elementary education, ‘Remember ye were strangers in the land of Egypt’ – this supreme rule must continually light our way in relations with the strangers within our gates "Righteousness, Righteousness shalt thou pursue!, Righteousness must be guiding principle in our relations amongst ourselves."
His first act on entering the prime minister's office, 29 years later, was to order Israeli refuge for the Vietnamese boat people. The same prime minister made peace with our archenemy, Egypt, but only after ensuring that none of the arrangements led to the transgression of Shabbat. This is the Zionism at its best: strong, compassionate and peace-loving; proudly sharing sacred Jewish values with the rest of the world.
But now we stand in the dock, facing calls for divestment, boycotts and the arrest of Israeli leaders who travel abroad. Even our friends no longer feel comfortable associating with us.
My early heroes were the Zionist pioneers who drained malarial swamps. That task is complete. Now, our challenge is to defend the good name of Zionism and the State of Israel, not through outdated historical arguments, or flimsy Facebook propaganda, but by ensuring that we live up to our highest values.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch wrote in his commentary on the Torah: ”We are warned to see to it that when we have a state of our own, we do not make the rights of any foreigner in our midst dependent upon anything other than the pure human quality inherent in every person. As soon as we abridge this basic human right, we open the door to all the abominations of tyranny and abuse that were practiced in the land of Egypt."
Instead of calling foul against the journalists and human rights groups who claim to expose injustices here, we should engage with them, showing that we genuinely care about our moral integrity. We have so much to be proud of, let's not be afraid of transparency; instead we should take the tours offered by Shovrim Shtika, ACRI, Encounter and Rabbis for Human Rights to see what they are talking about. If the accusations are incorrect, we will refute them; if they are slanderous, we should sue them. Equally, if any of what they claim turns out to be true, we must sit up, take notice and repair the harm. That is the only way we will ensure the flourishing of a democratic Jewish State that is admired by all and a source of pride for every Jew.
Rabbi Gideon Sylvester is the British United Synagogue's rabbi in Israel and director of the Beit Midrash for Human Rights at the Hillel House of Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
By Rabbi Gideon D. Sylvester
Instead of calling foul against the journalists and human rights groups who claim to expose injustices, we should engage with them, showing that we genuinely care about our moral integrity.
Imagine waking up to discover that your parents are on trial for serious crimes. For years, they have shielded you from the facts, but now there is no mistaking the situation. Close friends and family remain as supportive as ever, but walking down the street, you notice your neighbors crossing the road and averting their eyes.
"Zionism," on whose knees I was raised, has, in some circles, become a "boo word". It is associated with every nasty accusation made against the State of Israel and its relations with Palestinians, Israeli Arabs, Bedouins and refugees. Even some of our Jewish friends now avoid the term.
This is not the way it was meant to be. The father of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl dedicated his efforts to providing a safe haven from anti-Semitism, but he was sensitive to the injustices facing other peoples. He wrote about the suffering of black slaves and declared that once a Jewish state was established, his next project would be to assist African peoples achieve their freedom.
Herzl did not live to fulfill all his dreams, and his successors found the work of building and safeguarding the Jewish State to be formidable, leaving them little time for other concerns. But Herzl's liberal sentiments remained at the heart of the project. Even Zionism's most hawkish leaders believed that the nascent Jewish state must be just and fair to all its inhabitants. On the day that the state was declared, Menachem Begin declared:
"There must be no man within our country – be he citizen or foreigner compelled to go hungry, to want for a roof over his head, or to lack elementary education, ‘Remember ye were strangers in the land of Egypt’ – this supreme rule must continually light our way in relations with the strangers within our gates "Righteousness, Righteousness shalt thou pursue!, Righteousness must be guiding principle in our relations amongst ourselves."
His first act on entering the prime minister's office, 29 years later, was to order Israeli refuge for the Vietnamese boat people. The same prime minister made peace with our archenemy, Egypt, but only after ensuring that none of the arrangements led to the transgression of Shabbat. This is the Zionism at its best: strong, compassionate and peace-loving; proudly sharing sacred Jewish values with the rest of the world.
But now we stand in the dock, facing calls for divestment, boycotts and the arrest of Israeli leaders who travel abroad. Even our friends no longer feel comfortable associating with us.
My early heroes were the Zionist pioneers who drained malarial swamps. That task is complete. Now, our challenge is to defend the good name of Zionism and the State of Israel, not through outdated historical arguments, or flimsy Facebook propaganda, but by ensuring that we live up to our highest values.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch wrote in his commentary on the Torah: ”We are warned to see to it that when we have a state of our own, we do not make the rights of any foreigner in our midst dependent upon anything other than the pure human quality inherent in every person. As soon as we abridge this basic human right, we open the door to all the abominations of tyranny and abuse that were practiced in the land of Egypt."
Instead of calling foul against the journalists and human rights groups who claim to expose injustices here, we should engage with them, showing that we genuinely care about our moral integrity. We have so much to be proud of, let's not be afraid of transparency; instead we should take the tours offered by Shovrim Shtika, ACRI, Encounter and Rabbis for Human Rights to see what they are talking about. If the accusations are incorrect, we will refute them; if they are slanderous, we should sue them. Equally, if any of what they claim turns out to be true, we must sit up, take notice and repair the harm. That is the only way we will ensure the flourishing of a democratic Jewish State that is admired by all and a source of pride for every Jew.
Rabbi Gideon Sylvester is the British United Synagogue's rabbi in Israel and director of the Beit Midrash for Human Rights at the Hillel House of Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
21 aug 2012
Israeli defense officials consult with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef over Iran strike
Some want the spiritual leader of Haredi party Shas to support a strike, others to oppose it. At least one visit, in which the rabbi was briefed on Iran's nuclear program, came at Netanyahu's behest.
Senior defense officials have recently been visiting the ultra-Orthodox Shas party's spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, to discuss a possible Israeli attack on Iran.
Some want the 91-year-old rabbi to support it, others to oppose it. At least one visit, in which the rabbi was briefed on Iran's nuclear program, came at the behest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is battling for support in the cabinet to strike Iran.
One of the visitors to Yosef's Jerusalem home was National Security Council head Ya'akov Amidror, accompanied by Interior Minister and Shas political leader Eli Yishai, the Kikar Hashabat website reported.
Yishai reportedly objects to an Israeli attack on Iran in the current circumstances, although he has not made his position clear in public.
It is not known whether Amidror or any of the others succeeded in persuading Yosef. However, on Saturday evening, a day after his meeting with Amidror, Yosef said in his weekly sermon: "You know what situation we're in, there are evil people, Iran, about to destroy us. ... We must pray before [the almighty] with all our heart."
Meanwhile, opposition head MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima ) on Monday demanded clarifications from Netanyahu over his "intention to lead Israel into war with Iran," saying the costs of such a war would far outweigh its benefits. Mofaz also implied that Netanyahu was opening a rift with the Obama administration in an attempt to influence the November 6 U.S. presidential election, in which the prime minister is widely seen as favoring Republican Mitt Romney.
The Kadima leader wrote Netanyahu a letter asking for an urgent meeting on his plans. According to law, the prime minister must brief the opposition head on a monthly basis.
Mofaz attached a classified document, copies of which were sent to the defense minister, attorney general and chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. According to Army Radio, the attached document included a number of questions concerning Israel's preparedness for a war with Iran and relations with the United States.
Mofaz also asked for explanations of the official American position regarding an attack, and the degree of understanding between Washington and Israel in terms of intelligence, operations, the economy and the political arena.
The Kadima chairman added that an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would achieve limited results, alongside "loss of life, grave damage to the home front and deep erosion of Israel's political situation.
"Such action is immoral and operationally illogical under the circumstances," he wrote.
Mofaz criticized Netanyahu for his handling of relations with the United States. "What is the real goal behind widening the rift with the United States?" he asked. "Administration officials have clearly demonstrated to you, to the defense minister and to myself the dramatic ramifications of an Israeli operation, which would [constitute] a blunt and illegitimate intervention in internal U.S. political processes in the run-up to the presidential election in November this year," he wrote.
He slammed Netanyahu's response to President Shimon Peres' public objection to an attack. "The unrestrained attack you led against the president over the weekend points to a general loss of senses and control," he wrote.
Also, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Sunday night that the United States and Israel have different interpretations of the same intelligence reports on Iran's nuclear program. Dempsey said Israel viewed the threat posed by Tehran's atomic ambitions with more urgency, as a nuclear-armed Iran could endanger Israel's existence.
Dempsey said he conferred with his Israeli counterpart Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz on a "biweekly" basis. "We compare intelligence, we discuss regional implications. And we've admitted to each other that our clocks are turning at different rates," he said.
Dempsey said the U.S. military felt no pressure from Israel to back possible bombing raids. Speaking to reporters aboard his plane before landing Sunday night at Bagram air base in Afghanistan, Dempsey reiterated his view that any air strikes by Israel would delay but not destroy Iran's disputed nuclear project.
Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said on Monday that Israelis were "afraid of their own shadow (and are ) therefore trying to control this disappointing atmosphere by brouhaha and psychological warfare, but should know that propaganda will not resolve their problems."
Senior defense officials have recently been visiting the ultra-Orthodox Shas party's spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, to discuss a possible Israeli attack on Iran.
Some want the 91-year-old rabbi to support it, others to oppose it. At least one visit, in which the rabbi was briefed on Iran's nuclear program, came at the behest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is battling for support in the cabinet to strike Iran.
One of the visitors to Yosef's Jerusalem home was National Security Council head Ya'akov Amidror, accompanied by Interior Minister and Shas political leader Eli Yishai, the Kikar Hashabat website reported.
Yishai reportedly objects to an Israeli attack on Iran in the current circumstances, although he has not made his position clear in public.
It is not known whether Amidror or any of the others succeeded in persuading Yosef. However, on Saturday evening, a day after his meeting with Amidror, Yosef said in his weekly sermon: "You know what situation we're in, there are evil people, Iran, about to destroy us. ... We must pray before [the almighty] with all our heart."
Meanwhile, opposition head MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima ) on Monday demanded clarifications from Netanyahu over his "intention to lead Israel into war with Iran," saying the costs of such a war would far outweigh its benefits. Mofaz also implied that Netanyahu was opening a rift with the Obama administration in an attempt to influence the November 6 U.S. presidential election, in which the prime minister is widely seen as favoring Republican Mitt Romney.
The Kadima leader wrote Netanyahu a letter asking for an urgent meeting on his plans. According to law, the prime minister must brief the opposition head on a monthly basis.
Mofaz attached a classified document, copies of which were sent to the defense minister, attorney general and chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. According to Army Radio, the attached document included a number of questions concerning Israel's preparedness for a war with Iran and relations with the United States.
Mofaz also asked for explanations of the official American position regarding an attack, and the degree of understanding between Washington and Israel in terms of intelligence, operations, the economy and the political arena.
The Kadima chairman added that an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would achieve limited results, alongside "loss of life, grave damage to the home front and deep erosion of Israel's political situation.
"Such action is immoral and operationally illogical under the circumstances," he wrote.
Mofaz criticized Netanyahu for his handling of relations with the United States. "What is the real goal behind widening the rift with the United States?" he asked. "Administration officials have clearly demonstrated to you, to the defense minister and to myself the dramatic ramifications of an Israeli operation, which would [constitute] a blunt and illegitimate intervention in internal U.S. political processes in the run-up to the presidential election in November this year," he wrote.
He slammed Netanyahu's response to President Shimon Peres' public objection to an attack. "The unrestrained attack you led against the president over the weekend points to a general loss of senses and control," he wrote.
Also, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Sunday night that the United States and Israel have different interpretations of the same intelligence reports on Iran's nuclear program. Dempsey said Israel viewed the threat posed by Tehran's atomic ambitions with more urgency, as a nuclear-armed Iran could endanger Israel's existence.
Dempsey said he conferred with his Israeli counterpart Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz on a "biweekly" basis. "We compare intelligence, we discuss regional implications. And we've admitted to each other that our clocks are turning at different rates," he said.
Dempsey said the U.S. military felt no pressure from Israel to back possible bombing raids. Speaking to reporters aboard his plane before landing Sunday night at Bagram air base in Afghanistan, Dempsey reiterated his view that any air strikes by Israel would delay but not destroy Iran's disputed nuclear project.
Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said on Monday that Israelis were "afraid of their own shadow (and are ) therefore trying to control this disappointing atmosphere by brouhaha and psychological warfare, but should know that propaganda will not resolve their problems."
19 aug 2012
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef bashes Israeli legal system, calling it ‘court of gentiles’
Shas’ spiritual leader cites acceptance of testimony from women and overturning of Tal Law as evidence that Israeli judges ‘hate the Torah.'
During his weekly lesson on Saturday night, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Shas Party spiritual leader, harshly criticized the Israeli justice system, labeling it a “court of gentiles,” using a Talmudic term. Rabbi Yosef stated that according to Jewish law, judges presiding over Israeli courts should not be allowed to be witnesses at Jewish marriage ceremonies, implicating religiously observant judges as well.
Rabbi Yosef has bashed the Israeli justice system numerous times in the past, from a halakhic standpoint. This time, however, he went as far as labeling judges “wicked,” “incompetent witnesses,” and stating that they should not be allowed to lead synagogue prayers.
To support his assertion Rabbi Yosef referenced the High Court’s move to overturn the Tal Law, which largely exempted ultra-Orthodox men from conscription in the Israel Defense Forces, and claimed that the Israeli court judges “hate the Torah.”
“Whoever presides over a court of gentiles, and judges using the laws of gentiles, gives up the Torah of Moses, and is called wicked,” said Rabbi Yosef on Saturday night. “They judge according to the laws of the nations, not the Torah. They accept testimony from women. This is against the Torah,” continued Rabbi Yosef.
Rabbi Yosef related an incident presented to him, in which a couple married with an Israel court judge as a witness. Rabbi Yosef ordered them “to marry again, with a different ketubah. That ketubah is invalid. Why? He [the witness] is wicked, and incompetent to testify. It must be known.”
“They hate the torah, so they are incompetent as witnesses. There is no doubt. Any judge that presides over a secular court is invalid as a witness. They must not be used to witness matrimony, to sign the ketubah. It is forbidden,” said Rabbi Yossef. He went on to call such a marriage invalid, likening it to living in sin with a prostitute.
It was noted that the panel of Supreme Court judges that overturned the Tal Law contained religiously observant judges. Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, who was central to the majority decision to overturn the law, included numerous texts from traditional Jewish texts in his written ruling.
According to Rabbi Yosef, “A fitting witness is a kosher person, a righteous, God-fearing person, an observant person, is an appropriate witness. Matrimony is a very serious thing. First and foremost a witness should be a serious, appropriate person.”
During his weekly lesson on Saturday night, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Shas Party spiritual leader, harshly criticized the Israeli justice system, labeling it a “court of gentiles,” using a Talmudic term. Rabbi Yosef stated that according to Jewish law, judges presiding over Israeli courts should not be allowed to be witnesses at Jewish marriage ceremonies, implicating religiously observant judges as well.
Rabbi Yosef has bashed the Israeli justice system numerous times in the past, from a halakhic standpoint. This time, however, he went as far as labeling judges “wicked,” “incompetent witnesses,” and stating that they should not be allowed to lead synagogue prayers.
To support his assertion Rabbi Yosef referenced the High Court’s move to overturn the Tal Law, which largely exempted ultra-Orthodox men from conscription in the Israel Defense Forces, and claimed that the Israeli court judges “hate the Torah.”
“Whoever presides over a court of gentiles, and judges using the laws of gentiles, gives up the Torah of Moses, and is called wicked,” said Rabbi Yosef on Saturday night. “They judge according to the laws of the nations, not the Torah. They accept testimony from women. This is against the Torah,” continued Rabbi Yosef.
Rabbi Yosef related an incident presented to him, in which a couple married with an Israel court judge as a witness. Rabbi Yosef ordered them “to marry again, with a different ketubah. That ketubah is invalid. Why? He [the witness] is wicked, and incompetent to testify. It must be known.”
“They hate the torah, so they are incompetent as witnesses. There is no doubt. Any judge that presides over a secular court is invalid as a witness. They must not be used to witness matrimony, to sign the ketubah. It is forbidden,” said Rabbi Yossef. He went on to call such a marriage invalid, likening it to living in sin with a prostitute.
It was noted that the panel of Supreme Court judges that overturned the Tal Law contained religiously observant judges. Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, who was central to the majority decision to overturn the law, included numerous texts from traditional Jewish texts in his written ruling.
According to Rabbi Yosef, “A fitting witness is a kosher person, a righteous, God-fearing person, an observant person, is an appropriate witness. Matrimony is a very serious thing. First and foremost a witness should be a serious, appropriate person.”
8 july 2012
Incitement case against Safed rabbi dropped
AG halts probe into Rabbi Eliyahu's alleged anti-Arab comments due to lack of evidence.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has decided to dismiss the case against Safed Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, who was being investigated over some inciting remarks that were attributed to him in the media.
Last November, the attorney general had ordered a probe into the rabbi on suspicion of incitement to racism after he allegedly told reporters that the Arab culture is cruel and is predisposed towards violence and theft.
The comments were purportedly said in support of an edict issued by Eliyahu and 50 other rabbis, warning followers against renting or selling homes to anyone who isn't Jewish.
Weinstein decided to throw out the case at the request of the State Prosecutor's Office after investigators found no evidence that the quotes "correctly reflected the statements that were actually made."
Among other leads, the investigators probed the journalists who quoted Eliyahu; none had recorded his speech. According to the statement, some reporters admitted that they could have tweaked the content.
The prosecution therefore could not rule out the possibility of a discrepancy that could have occurred between Eliyahu's actual remarks and they way they were quoted.
Weinstein also noted that Eliyahu and the other rabbis responsible for the real estate-related ban released a statement claiming that their decree was not meant to come off as discriminatory against non-Jews.
"The State of Israel is obligated to treat all its citizens equally," the rabbis' statement read. "This approach is based in the Torah and the law."
Attorney Aviad Hacohen, who represents Eliyahu, told Ynet that the attorney general's decision "echoes our stance that a conflict of opinions, no matter how extreme, should not be handled by the criminal system."
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has decided to dismiss the case against Safed Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, who was being investigated over some inciting remarks that were attributed to him in the media.
Last November, the attorney general had ordered a probe into the rabbi on suspicion of incitement to racism after he allegedly told reporters that the Arab culture is cruel and is predisposed towards violence and theft.
The comments were purportedly said in support of an edict issued by Eliyahu and 50 other rabbis, warning followers against renting or selling homes to anyone who isn't Jewish.
Weinstein decided to throw out the case at the request of the State Prosecutor's Office after investigators found no evidence that the quotes "correctly reflected the statements that were actually made."
Among other leads, the investigators probed the journalists who quoted Eliyahu; none had recorded his speech. According to the statement, some reporters admitted that they could have tweaked the content.
The prosecution therefore could not rule out the possibility of a discrepancy that could have occurred between Eliyahu's actual remarks and they way they were quoted.
Weinstein also noted that Eliyahu and the other rabbis responsible for the real estate-related ban released a statement claiming that their decree was not meant to come off as discriminatory against non-Jews.
"The State of Israel is obligated to treat all its citizens equally," the rabbis' statement read. "This approach is based in the Torah and the law."
Attorney Aviad Hacohen, who represents Eliyahu, told Ynet that the attorney general's decision "echoes our stance that a conflict of opinions, no matter how extreme, should not be handled by the criminal system."
4 july 2012
Israel "chief rabbi" announces plan to give hotels higher "star ratings" if kitchens don't employ any non-Jewish people
Google translation
Metzger presents: hotels ranked by "Jewishness"
Religious revolution in the tourism industry is expected in Israel: Arabs occupy hotel kitchen will lose two stars and the hotel will separate between men and women in the pool gets 5.
Hotel fit the spirit of Judaism and give resort environment that matches the way of religious life, such as avoiding the employment of non-Jews in the kitchen and honoring the Sabbath, will receive the upgrade will be reflected in the stars.
Ma'ariv has learned that the rating system will be made by giving stars. Two to five stars as Ruth will be awarded according to the criteria cumulative.
Hotel with kosher certification standard would two stars, three stars will be awarded to the hotel not to employ foreign workers and minorities under the preparation of food, four stars will be awarded to the hotel to invite meat only butchers Orthodox worse, while five stars brag hotel keeps the Sabbath and modesty, and among other dudes modest employees and prohibits talking on and playing music on Saturday.
No music in the lobby
This hierarchy will have hotels they want to preen more than two stars to dismiss non-Jewish workers employed so far in the kitchen or moving them to other works in it. A knowledgeable source said that in recent years, with the growing trend of hiring non-Jews in the kitchens of hotels, there were serious kashrut problems arising from lack of caring and May - workers' awareness of the importance of keeping kosher.
Hotels they want to preen four stars as Ruth would have, beyond the prohibition of employment of non-Jews in the kitchen, also be careful not to buy meat at a non-Mehadrin. This level of keeping kosher beyond the standard required by law and is produced mainly for driving ultra-Orthodox public
Maintain more stringent rules slaughter, training and cooking of meat.
It seems that the fifth star is the most dramatic and may provoke strong opposition, since it dictates the way of life and the religious character of the hotel. This planet relates to the issue of modesty and keeping the Sabbath in public areas of hotels.
The list of prohibitions being drawn in the Chief Rabbinate can already tell the prohibition of playing music throughout the hotel during the Sabbath, allocation of teaching pool separate for men and women regularly wearing modest facts, Activation Saturday, and a ban on desecrating the Sabbath in public spaces of the hotel, such as speaking on the phone or running public power.
Create a friendly atmosphere
Those who are headed the committee that consolidates the criteria are Rabbi Yaniv Cohen, Director of Kosher Hotels Jerusalem Rabbinate, and four other rabbis. Rabbinate aware that this is an unprecedented move for what they call "the gray area in training", but their taste is not religious coercion, but the public service of religion abiding vacationers from Israel and abroad.
"There can be a melon will strive for five stars in the professional field, but the religious holiday accommodation will be for him only two stars only because of its nature Ayahtamh guardians of religious life," said a senior rabbi.
Rabbi Rafael Cohen, director of training in Tiberias and a member of the committee, confirmed the words: "I hope that within two months we will finish the job. Until now we had a few meetings, and the work is towards the end."
Metzger's office said: "This is a matter which is at the initial examination and it is unclear if this will eventually implemented. Any case shall not be required to participate in ranking the hotels in question. Goal is to create positive competition will contribute to maximize the possibility of observant Jews spend in hotels in Israel , with the possibility to choose the level of training and overall friendly atmosphere towards Jewish traditions and values ".
Metzger presents: hotels ranked by "Jewishness"
Religious revolution in the tourism industry is expected in Israel: Arabs occupy hotel kitchen will lose two stars and the hotel will separate between men and women in the pool gets 5.
Hotel fit the spirit of Judaism and give resort environment that matches the way of religious life, such as avoiding the employment of non-Jews in the kitchen and honoring the Sabbath, will receive the upgrade will be reflected in the stars.
Ma'ariv has learned that the rating system will be made by giving stars. Two to five stars as Ruth will be awarded according to the criteria cumulative.
Hotel with kosher certification standard would two stars, three stars will be awarded to the hotel not to employ foreign workers and minorities under the preparation of food, four stars will be awarded to the hotel to invite meat only butchers Orthodox worse, while five stars brag hotel keeps the Sabbath and modesty, and among other dudes modest employees and prohibits talking on and playing music on Saturday.
No music in the lobby
This hierarchy will have hotels they want to preen more than two stars to dismiss non-Jewish workers employed so far in the kitchen or moving them to other works in it. A knowledgeable source said that in recent years, with the growing trend of hiring non-Jews in the kitchens of hotels, there were serious kashrut problems arising from lack of caring and May - workers' awareness of the importance of keeping kosher.
Hotels they want to preen four stars as Ruth would have, beyond the prohibition of employment of non-Jews in the kitchen, also be careful not to buy meat at a non-Mehadrin. This level of keeping kosher beyond the standard required by law and is produced mainly for driving ultra-Orthodox public
Maintain more stringent rules slaughter, training and cooking of meat.
It seems that the fifth star is the most dramatic and may provoke strong opposition, since it dictates the way of life and the religious character of the hotel. This planet relates to the issue of modesty and keeping the Sabbath in public areas of hotels.
The list of prohibitions being drawn in the Chief Rabbinate can already tell the prohibition of playing music throughout the hotel during the Sabbath, allocation of teaching pool separate for men and women regularly wearing modest facts, Activation Saturday, and a ban on desecrating the Sabbath in public spaces of the hotel, such as speaking on the phone or running public power.
Create a friendly atmosphere
Those who are headed the committee that consolidates the criteria are Rabbi Yaniv Cohen, Director of Kosher Hotels Jerusalem Rabbinate, and four other rabbis. Rabbinate aware that this is an unprecedented move for what they call "the gray area in training", but their taste is not religious coercion, but the public service of religion abiding vacationers from Israel and abroad.
"There can be a melon will strive for five stars in the professional field, but the religious holiday accommodation will be for him only two stars only because of its nature Ayahtamh guardians of religious life," said a senior rabbi.
Rabbi Rafael Cohen, director of training in Tiberias and a member of the committee, confirmed the words: "I hope that within two months we will finish the job. Until now we had a few meetings, and the work is towards the end."
Metzger's office said: "This is a matter which is at the initial examination and it is unclear if this will eventually implemented. Any case shall not be required to participate in ranking the hotels in question. Goal is to create positive competition will contribute to maximize the possibility of observant Jews spend in hotels in Israel , with the possibility to choose the level of training and overall friendly atmosphere towards Jewish traditions and values ".
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