Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rabbi David Yosef, renewed his strong criticism this morning (Sunday) of the justices of the High Court of Justice, who decided over the Sabbath to allow a left-wing demonstration in Habima Square.
Rabbi Yosef spoke during the limited Priestly Blessing ceremony at the Western Wall and noted that the public had refrained from attending in large numbers out of adherence to Home Front Command instructions-without anyone needing clarification from the High Court.
“My colleague, the Rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Rabinowitz, turned to the Home Front Command to ask whether more people could be allowed to participate in the ceremony. Notice-he turned to the Home Front Command because they understand matters of security; he did not turn to the High Court because the High Court understands lawlessness. They understand freedom of protest. They call freedom of protest ‘saving lives,’ nothing less-but we turn to professionals who understand the preservation of life. The High Court does not understand the preservation of life. The Home Front Command does, and we will do what it instructs, because we know what it means to safeguard every Jewish life," Rabbi Yosef emphasized.
Last night, in his weekly lesson, Rabbi Yosef leveled further criticism at the Supreme Court justices for their decision to convene and deliberate during the Sabbath on the issue of the left-wing demonstration in Habima Square.
“This is an unlawful act in the Jewish state," Rabbi Yosef stated firmly. “These judges sit on the Sabbath, trample the law, and compel state representatives to respond on the holy day in complete contradiction to religious law. They behave recklessly and crudely trample the tradition of Israel and our holy Torah."
He noted that the religious public could also have demanded to hold the Priestly Blessing at the Western Wall, but refrained due to the war-while left-wing demonstrators petitioned the High Court solely to protest and desecrate the Sabbath.
Rabbi Yosef further argued that the religious public has lost trust in the judicial system due to what he described as a one-sided and anti-religious approach. “Today there is not a single religious Jew who has confidence in this brazen group of the High Court. Through their actions, they have become enemies of Judaism," he said.
He stressed that the struggle over the character of the state will continue: “We will fight with all our strength for the identity of the state, and in the end-Judaism will prevail."