Among the moments of heroism and the powerful addresses at Tuesday night's opening ceremony for Israel's Independence Day on Mount Herzl, many spectators at home and in the crowd were convinced that the Sephardic Chief Rabbi graced the event with his presence.
The cameras focused several times on an individual wearing the official robe and matching turban associated with the "Rishon Lezion." However, the finely dressed gentleman was Eyal Zionov, a TikTok personality who often dresses in official rabbinic garb.
Zionov entered the ceremony with a regular invitation and did not claim to be the Chief Rabbi, but his attire did the talking. The director, who recognized the "look," chose to place Zionov in the central frame of the state broadcast not once, but twice.
Apparently, this was not the first case of mistaken identity. N12 reported that last week, Zionov visited the Temple Mount, leading Shin Bet officials to call the Chief Rabbi's office and complain: "Why didn't you coordinate the rabbi's visit to the Temple Mount with us?" The office had to explain that it was not the rabbi, but rather an impersonator.
The Chief Rabbinate is not a big fan. The report quoted a Rabbinate official who said, "It's crazy, the man goes around, and people think he's the Chief Rabbi and they approach him for blessings. We are considering our options in the matter and whether it is possible to take legal action, since it's a gray area. It is unclear if and how it's possible to take action against a man who wears a hat and a robe and misleads people to think he's the Chief Rabbi.