Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ztz"l
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ztz"lFlash 90

Transportation Minister Betzalel Smotrich sent a letter to Second Broadcasting Authority Chair Yulia Samuelov Berkowitz, following the disqualification of an advertisement of the Shavei Hevron organization.

"As part of the mass mobilization campaign of the Shavei Hevron organization, a broadcast was canceled in which the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, of blessed and righteous memory, speaks in praise of the City of the Patriarchs."

He says, "the ad was returned to advertisers with a demand to censor the rabbi's words, and the organization was forced to record a new ad while skipping the rabbi's words, which impaired the effectiveness of the ad.

"I wonder who is the censor who is supposed to decide in the Chief Rabbi's words what is legitimate to say in praise of Hevron and what isn't?" Smotrich asked.

"Beyond that, according to which criteria are you considering what is controversial and what isn't? Your answer would be appreciated," he added.