What's with the "celebrity" sunglasses?

How does a rabbi have the authority to release a prisoner. Sure, he can forgive him for the assassination plot, but actually release him?

Since when can a rabbi decide about releasing a prisoner?????

Why didn't Israel demand the extradition of those who killed Lee Zeituni in exchange? You really don't think ahead and shoot yourselves in the foot.

I thought that was the prerogative of the President of the State of Israel. Oh well, the new sign at Ben Gurion Airport will be "Welcome to the Haredi Republic of Israel". In Iran they have a Grand Ayatollah, here we have a Grand Rabbi. Well, at least, he thinks he is!

The good rabbi suffers from a vision impairment that requires him to wear corrective lens which to those not in know appear to be sunglasses.

what's that all about?

Netanyahu's government had evidently adopted to free the would be murdered as a gesture to the French president. But the government did not want to upset a member of the coalition (Shas) by going against the wishes of the spiritual leader of that member party who was the target of Hamuri. Sarkozy who wants all the votes he can get among French Muslims for his reelection might appreciate the gesture & return some favor to Israel or its government in the future. Just politics. Since Hamuri was going to be soon released from jail after completing his sentence, the damage politics is causing to justice is slight. Both Sarkozy & Netanyahu are expecting it will help them at little cost.

The only gesture that Israel gets in return, in an extended Arab finger

what's is the real story here? Ynet please do give us more information! I mean besides the usual we are anti-religious spin. Thank you

That power rests in the hands of Shimon Peres, who can pardon them. However, they can decide not to release someone if the accuser says he doesn't want him released. They can also still decide to release that person. Butif the accuser says it's ok, and they wanted to release him beforehand, then they'd probably release him.

Read the article! It is Netanyahu who does the releasing. It was stated that he could not do it without permission of the Rabbi. It is a moral issue not a power issue.

1/2 of what you say is correct the other 1/2 is either gibberash or American law that you think applies here. It doesn't

This Rabbi represents Sephardim, whose wealth was confiscated and were thrown out of Arab countries. Sephardim must secretly cringe over the Rabbi's leftist, compromising politics.

whole bunches. Only difference between us and the Ashkenazi lefties is that we believe in G-d and respect religious authority...because we are secure with who we are. The Ashkenazi lefties well you know right?