Rabbis who threatened IDF general to be probed
Central Command chief, who recently signed a number of preventive restraining orders against right-wing extremists, receives letter from court of right-wing rabbis stating his alleged infractions and detailing death verdict
The police are to investigate a number of right-wing rabbis who have allegedly called for a death sentence to be served on IDF Cental Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh.
The rabbis are suspected of demanding the application of the "din moser", a halachic (Jewish religious law) edict that calls for capital punishment in the case of a person betraying a fellow Jew to the authorities, because of Maj.-Gen Naveh's signing of restraining orders against right-wing extremists in the West Bank.
Assistant State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan gave the order for the investigation Wednesday.
In recent months, Naveh signed a number of preventive restraining orders against right-wing extremists in the West Bank.
Upon receiving them, a number of the activists filed a petition against the general with the Special Court For Matters Concerning the Nation and the State.
The court, comprised of rabbis associated with the right-wing, decreed that Naveh was committing three types of offenses: Leading the public astray, intimidation of the public, and betraying citizens to the authorities.
A summons to the court was sent in a letter to Naveh's office, requesting that he appear and explain his actions.
The letter referred the general to the writing of the great sage Maimonides, specifically to the verdict of a 'moser' (betrayer). The relevant passages state that it is best to kill such a person and sooner rather than later.
Because of the severity of the letter, the Assistant State Prosecutor decided to instruct the police to investigate the rabbis who issued it: Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Rabbi Reuven Hass, Rabbi Yehudah Edri , Rabbi Eidua Alba and Rabbi Prof. Hillel Weiss.
The rabbis are suspected of threatening and incitement to violence. Police were also ordered to investigate how and to whom else the summons was distributed, in order to gage the potential effect of the court's decision among their community.
