Rabbis vow to uphold democracy
Four prominent religious-Zionist rabbis denounce pullout violence as illegal
TEL AVIV - Four prominent religious-Zionist rabbis have joined forces in a call for non-violent resistance during the upcoming disengagement, while urging their followers to safeguard democracy.
The four leading figures include two chief municipal rabbis, Yaakov Ariel and Shlomo Avinery, and two yeshiva directors, Aharon Lichtenstein an Haim Druckman.
The four added their signatures to a pamphlet initiated by Tzohar, a religious-Zionist organization comprised of young generation rabbis following the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
The group characterizes its activity as an effort to bring secular and religious Jews together.
In the pamphlet, which is expected to be distribured at synagogues throughout the country this weekend, the leading rabbis denounce violent resistance as “illegal.”
The rabbis’ position contrasts with another appeal made by fomer Chief Rabbi Shapira, who instructed soldiers to refuse settlement evacuation orders.
Pledging to uphold democracy
According to the pamphlet, “At this tough time for Israel and its people, rabbis and educators wish to repeat the principals of our faith regarding the issues on the agenda.”
“We again express our Torah-empowered loyalty to the state of Israel at the beginning of our redemption and view it as the Jewish people’s national fulfillment. We take upon ourselves to make an effort to nurture the people’s unity at this tough time, and at the same time further establish the bond between people and country both on the spiritual and practical levels,” the document reads.
“We will make an effort to keep our land under Israel’s sovereignty in the framework of the rules of democracy," the pamphlet stresses.
