Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Rabbi Yosef Elitzur
Photo: Avi Mualem
AG reluctant to prosecute 'King's Torah' authors
Attorney General unlikely to indict rabbis who penned controversial book, which claims that in certain situations it is permissible to kill non-Jews
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein
will most likely decline to indict the authors of The "King's Torah,"
a book that claims that in certain situations it is permissible to kill non-Jews, Ynet learned on Thursday.
The book stirred controversy for stating that it is permissible to kill a non-Jew if his presence endangers Jewish life. Some rabbis within the religious community supported the statements while others hinted that the statements were dangerous.
Legal Boundaries
Aviad Glickman
Reform movements petitions High Court to file criminal charges against rabbis who penned controversial book; say it incites violence
Police launched an investigation into the matter and authors Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira and Rabbi Yosef Elitzur were investigated over suspected incitement to violence and racism.
Other rabbis investigated in connection with the affair included Rabbi Dov Lior, Yitzhak Ginsberg and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef who expressed their support for the book.
Over the last two months the State Prosecutor's Office examined whether there was room to indict the book's authors, something which could create a major furor within the Zionist-religious community.
The prosecutor's office was of the opinion that indictment would be problematic as it is hard to prove that the authors intended to act with violence, and in a case like this, intent must be proven.
The decision is within Weinstein's purview and at the moment it is likely that he will decide not to file indictments.
In addition to the police investigation in the matter, a petition to indict the rabbis was also presented by the Reform movement.
