Jewish Scene
70 rabbis: Arrest warrant a disgrace
Kobi Nahshoni
Published: 11.02.11, 08:26
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25 Talkbacks for this article
1. Rabbis
Ralph ,   Caesarea   (02.11.11)
what these fake jews do not understand is the law is the same for every Israeli,
2. The rabbis in question had done or said
Israeli 2   (02.11.11)
nothing to warrant arrest. They are free to express themselves despite statements that are unagreeable to the anti religious. None of their statements incite or even suggest anarchy. To me, they have not gone far enough.
3. missing
jG ,   Jerusalem   (02.11.11)
There is almost nothing in the article explaining the heart of the issue - the content of the book in question.
4. Radical left & Arab MK /religious counterparts....
Adina kutnicki ,   Israel   (02.11.11)
incite against Israel yet NO one screams arrest! Whether or not one agrees with Lior is beside the point.At the very least he is NOT inciting against our national security because our security should never be contingent upon the minority. The fact of the matter is that he is giving a halachic view, no one has to pay attention, but he has the RIGHT to freedom of expression.Unless democracy is for leftists, but NOT for rightists!
5. The only disgrace
Sagi   (02.11.11)
is the Rabbi and his contempt for the law.
6. to1. Precisely the law is for everyone, including leftist
Ari ,   Romania-Israel   (02.11.11)
The leftist can put in danger the security of the state with their expresions, with promoting boycots against the state or making not so peaceful demostrations or writing inciting articles to discredit the government in papers like Haaret and even Yedot Aharont, and their views and actions are hardly persecuted or arrest warrant issued against them. Lately all my talbacks have not been publish by Ynetnews, Instead Salma's and Nours commentarries allways published.
7. According to the Jewish religion . . .
noa ,   israel   (02.11.11)
All, all Jews must be law-abiding citizens in the countries they are residing. Why not in Israel?
8. Rabbi above the law?
Tim ,   Brighton   (02.11.11)
So where exactly do their apologists draw the line? Incitement is incitement - period The law is the law - period And if Israeli law percieves that he has indeed broken the law the law must take its course
9. No one is above the law unless you are an MK!
David ,   Karmiel, Israel   (02.11.11)
Indeed, the rabbi is in contempt of court but why is the law of the land not applied to MK Hanin Zoubi whose actions in the "Flotilla Incident" were nothing short of treasonous? You don't want a rabbi arrested but you are OK with the arrest of a Muslim leader like the treasonous Sheikh Raed Salah. Were was the outcry when this enemy of our country and the Jewish People was released by the courts? Both the left and the right commit crimes against the state and get away with it. A Cabinet Minister who failed the country by favoring the Yeshiva Bochas over the emergency services resulted in 44 people being killed. The Minister is still in office and appears on TV with impunity with his colleague in criminal negligence, the Minister of Finance. The answer to all the questions about the failure of calling people to account is the apathy by the people of this country. We allow politicians to fleece the taxpayer and feather their own nests without a murmur. TV commentators criticize the Government constantly but when did they demand that a Cabinet Minister appear on TV and be called to answer for his actions? What it boils down to is apathy by the electorate and total irresponsibility to the electorate are the order of the day and our politicians and bureaucrats take full advantage of this. We don't want to face the fact that the country is in a state of anarchy. The Courts release alleged murderers because of the "work load" on judges. The police do not protect the people of this country and youth crime and vandalism is out of control. In short the situation is dismal and no one is prepared to do anything about it. After all, why should they?
10. Freedom of speech
MB ,   Israel   (02.11.11)
All of a sudden extreme religious right are concerned about democratic principles. Freedom of speech covers all citizens but should be limited when calling for murder of all goyim who may have disagreed with the state of Israel. Everyone is equal under the law, let's separate the state and religion.
11. #4 Adina That is Israel's example of "democracy"
Esther   (02.11.11)
which is only for Radical left & Arab MK /religious counterparts and not meant for religious Jews who would rather follow Torah laws than secular laws.
12. #7 Noa According to the Jewish religion . . .
Esther   (02.11.11)
Jewish are required to keep ALL 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) of the Torah. The law of the JEWISH land of ISRAEL is first and foremost the laws of the Torah. Jews in Israel who do not keep the law of the land which is the laws of the Torah, have no right to judge others. PERIOD!
13. To #12
Norman Gellman ,   Rehovot   (02.11.11)
First of all no one in the world can do the 613 mitzvoth, some are in fact impossible to do in the current state of the world. Secondly, Israel is NOT A STATE RULED BY HALCHA; all citizens are required to adhere to the civil law. The arrest warrant is because the rabbi refused to cooperate with the police who wish to find out what is the meaning of what he said. Noncooperation is a criminal offence. Finally everybody has the right to free speech, but, free speech has its limits, incitement to riot or cause harm to other citizens is beyond the limits of free speech. These 70 rabbis should be ashamed of themselves for their stance against the rule of law.
14. These rabbis don´t know the meaning of democracy
Progressive Populist ,   Sth/Jer-Isr/Swe   (02.11.11)
They call upon ministers in the government to intervene. That´s crazy. Here´s a basic lecture: The judiciary and the courts are independent. This is a very important concept in a democracy that adheres to the rule of law. The rabbis wants to abolish what we have, and replace it with a Torah-theocracy. Now, that ambition is what I call an abomination.
15. Amazing! Rabbinical tyrants crying out
Rich ,   Toronto, Canada   (02.11.11)
for democratic freedoms. Unbelievable!
16. Where is the incitement?
Eliyahu Konn ,   Powell, USA   (02.11.11)
Rabbis only have legitimate sway if they are following Torah and teaching others to do so. That is why you are not to follow men but follow Torah. Some idolize rabbis whether what they say is logically deduced from Torah or not. If your enemy hides behind a child, you do your best to plug your enemy between the eyes. That is what sharpshooters are for. Isn't that what the rabbi was saying?
17. False criticism of Torat Ha-Melech
Myer Rosen ,   Toronto, Canada   (02.11.11)
The book Torat Ha-Melekh does not, of course, call for murdering non-Jews. It examines whether Israeli soldiers in the middle of a battle should risk getting themselves killed to avoid risking the lives of enemy civilians in the battle zone. Whether the lives of Jewish soldiers are less precious than the lives of enemy civilians among whom enemy fighters take shelter? The question arose after the battle in Jenin several years ago when quite a number of Israeli soldiers were killed for lack of artillery and air support in fighting against Arab terrorists holed up in the densely-populated Jenin casba. Were the lives of those Israeli soldiers less precious than the lives of the enemy civilians among whom the terrorists were sheltering? For most if not all countries and armies, the lives of their own soldiers take precedence over enemy civilians regrettably caught in the crossfire. The accusations against the rabbis for examining the moral quandaries of warfare is slanderous and hypocritical.
18. To # 17
Michael Davison ,   Ra'anana, Israel   (02.12.11)
It's not what is written in "Torat Hamelech", but what the reader perceives is written. One reader may see it as examination of the moral dilemma you describe, while another may see the same words as a declaration of "open season" on non-Jews. The police invited the rabbi for an interview, wishing to determine which view his comments supported and he refused. A warrant was issued to bring him in for the interview involuntarily and again he refused. That is contempt of court. I just wish that the police would act as decisively to investigate some of the comments made by leftist professors, politicians and journalists as they do to investigate right-wing ones.
19. Rabbis
AbY ,   Canada   (02.12.11)
Let's see. We got one rabbi accused of sexually molesting children. We have the chief rabbi of Haifa defrauding the government and taking bribes, and we got another learned rabbi trying to justify the killing of Gentiles. These "holy" men and then are defended by 70 more like them? What a great example they set for the rest of us isn't it? They are all parasites who are destroying the state from within and are making Israel look like its run by a gangster theocracy that needs to follow Mubarak's example.
20. interesting
Jamal ,   Qatar   (02.12.11)
'Thou Shalt Not Murder' applies only 'to a Jew who kills a Jew. Why arent these people exposed to the world? It is only the media that targets Islam only.
21. It's not supposed to be Democratic..
Edithann ,   USA   (02.12.11)
It's the Rabbis Job to determine what 'it's all about', and how to maintain tribal loyalty or bondage, whatever way you look at it.. Why do you think the 10 commandments was upped to 613? It's not rocket science... TATA
22. Worthless rabbis in service of religion without equality.
Michael ,   California, USA   (02.12.11)
23. #7 We don't follow evil Jews. (who run the state).
TzVi ,   NY   (02.13.11)
Jewish law is above the man made laws of any nation. On top of that we have evil Jews who are running the government/media/courts. Its actually a mitzva to fight and oppose them and their "laws". First learn Torah and then talk.
24. Have any of you "progressive/democratic" people actually...
TzVi ,   NY   (02.13.11)
Khow what is soo "controversial"? It is a simple Halacha that during war, the lives of our soldiers take precedence over the lives of enemy civilians. Besides the Torah it is simple logic. It is what normal nation (like the U.S.) are doing- Today.
25. Torah
william hooker ,   london uk   (02.17.11)
Is this the same torah that supports paedophilia?
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