The Minister of Religious Affairs, Matan Kahana, rejects the recommendation of the Ombudsman for Judges, Uri Shoham, to remove Rishon LeZion and the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, from his position as Dayan due to his harsh words against the reforms in religion and state. He said: “It is important for the chief rabbi to state his opinion and position on a variety of issues, without fear. The chief rabbi of Israel deserves very broad limits of freedom of expression.”
In light of the demand of the Ombudsman, Adv. Uri Shoham, from the Minister of Religious Affairs, Matan Kahana, to answer whether he intends to convene the Committee for the Appointment of Judges in order to deny the authority of the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rishon LeZion, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita Rishon LeZion In the past, Minister Kahana replied last night to the Commissioner that “there is no justification for prosecuting him disciplinary or denying his competence as a judge.”
Minister Kahana elaborated in his reply that after seriously examining the material before him, the Minister claims that
“I believe that despite the sorrow that such statements have been made, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, by virtue of his position as a senior and significant Torah authority, deserves very broad limits of freedom of expression when expressing the position of Jewish law. .
According to Kahana, elected officials and members of the Knesset sometimes express themselves very sharply, but being elected officials, they have immunity. “If the issue had been in my power,” the minister replies, “I think it would have been appropriate to give the chief rabbis immunity similar to the immunity that other elected officials have, since the importance of the chief rabbi expressing his opinion and position on a variety of issues is more significant and even greater.” Any other elected public will be free to speak. “
The Minister further noted that it is important to emphasize that some of the statements of Rishon LeZion mentioned in the statement of claim were directed at him personally. Despite this, in the Minister’s opinion, the value of preserving the freedom of expression of the Chief Rabbi of Israel is immeasurably greater than the point of harm to the feelings of a certain elected official or one public or another.
Finally, the Minister concluded: “Therefore, I believe that there is no justification for prosecuting him disciplinary or, God forbid, denying him the right to serve as a judge of the Chief Rabbi of Rishon Lezion, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita.”
As was first revealed in Kikar Hashabat, the Ombudsman for Judges, retired Judge Uri Shoham, sent a scathing letter against Rishon Lezion and the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, for his opposition to the reforms led by the Minister of Religious Affairs, Matan Kahana, reforms of the method of the great men of Israel Both the destruction of Judaism and the Chief Rabbinate.