December 2010 Israeli rabbi letter controversy
Encyclopedia
In December 2010, two open letter
s signed by rabbis in Israel
generated heated controversy within and outside the country.
The first letter was a psak din
(religious
ruling) signed by an estimated 50 rabbi
s, urged Israeli landowners not to rent to Arab
s or other non-Jews. The second letter, signed by at least 27 rebbetzin
s (rabbis' wives) and released on December 28 by Lehava, urged young Jewish women not to date Arabs or even to work at locations where non-Jews might be present.
The initiator of the rabbis' letter was the chief rabbi
of Safed
Shmuel Eliyahu
. Eliyahu was summoned to a police interrogation on January 2, 2011, on suspicion of incitement
to racism
, a crime in Israel, but refused to answer the summons.
Many of the rabbis who signed the letter are "local rabbis," in charge of religious services provided by their municipality
; they are state employees and receive taxpayer salaries. Among the signers were rabbis from Rishon LeZion, Ramat HaSharon
, Herzliya
, Kfar Saba
and Holon (all suburbs of Tel Aviv
), Jerusalem, and other towns and settlements.
According to a poll conducted by the Harry S Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, a narrow plurality of Jewish Israelis were opposed to the rabbis' call not to rent to Arabs: 44 percent supported the statement, and 48 percent were opposed it.
Opposition
Support
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
s signed by rabbis in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
generated heated controversy within and outside the country.
The first letter was a psak din
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
(religious
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
ruling) signed by an estimated 50 rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s, urged Israeli landowners not to rent to Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s or other non-Jews. The second letter, signed by at least 27 rebbetzin
Rebbetzin
Rebbitzin or Rabbanit is the title used for the wife of a rabbi, typically from the Orthodox, or Haredi, and Hasidic Jewish groups...
s (rabbis' wives) and released on December 28 by Lehava, urged young Jewish women not to date Arabs or even to work at locations where non-Jews might be present.
The initiator of the rabbis' letter was the chief rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
Shmuel Eliyahu
Shmuel Eliyahu
-Background:Shmuel Eliyahu is the son of Mordechai Eliyahu, the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel.-Carpet bombing:According to a May 30, 2007 report in The Jerusalem Post, Eliyahu advocated "carpet bombing the general area from which the Kassams were launched, regardless of the price in...
. Eliyahu was summoned to a police interrogation on January 2, 2011, on suspicion of incitement
Incitement
In English criminal law, incitement was an anticipatory common law offence and was the act of persuading, encouraging, instigating, pressuring, or threatening so as to cause another to commit a crime....
to racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, a crime in Israel, but refused to answer the summons.
Many of the rabbis who signed the letter are "local rabbis," in charge of religious services provided by their municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
; they are state employees and receive taxpayer salaries. Among the signers were rabbis from Rishon LeZion, Ramat HaSharon
Ramat Hasharon
Ramat HaSharon is a city located on Israel's central coastal strip in the south of the Sharon region, bordering Tel Aviv to the south and Herzliya and Kibbutz Glil Yam to the north. It is part of the Tel Aviv District, within Gush Dan metropolitan area...
, Herzliya
Herzliya
Herzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
, Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba , officially Kfar Sava, is a city in the Sharon region, of the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2009, Kfar Saba had a total population of 83,600.-History:...
and Holon (all suburbs of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
), Jerusalem, and other towns and settlements.
According to a poll conducted by the Harry S Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
, a narrow plurality of Jewish Israelis were opposed to the rabbis' call not to rent to Arabs: 44 percent supported the statement, and 48 percent were opposed it.
Responses
Both letters generated heated controversy in Israel and abroad, and were widely condemned:Opposition
- Minorities Affairs Minister Avishay Braverman called for Eliyahu's ouster as early as November 18, 2010. On December 12, Braverman threatened to push for his Labor Party to quit the coalition, stating that "There is a hatred of foreigners. The nation is turning into IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
following the rabbis' letter." - The Association for Civil Rights in IsraelAssociation for Civil Rights in IsraelThe Association for Civil Rights in Israel was created as an independent non-partisan organization to protect human rights and civil rights in Israel and the territories under its control....
demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemn the letter (which he later did) and take disciplinary action against state-employed signatories of the letter, saying in a statement that "Rabbis who are civil servants have an obligation to the entire public, including Israel's Arab citizens. It is unthinkable that they would use their public status to promote racism and incitement." - Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin NetanyahuBenjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
, the Prime Minister of IsraelPrime Minister of IsraelThe Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
and the leader of the LikudLikudLikud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
party, condemned the letter on December 7 in a speech before the National Bible Contest for adults in Jerusalem, stating that ""How would we feel if we were told not to sell an apartment to Jews?" We would protest, and we protest now when it is said of our neighbors" and that "Such things cannot be said, not about Jews and not about Arabs. They cannot be said in any democratic country, and especially not in a Jewish and democratic one. The state of Israel rejects these sayings." - Ehud BarakEhud BarakEhud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
, the leader of the Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister, and Defense MinisterMinistry of Defense (Israel)The Ministry of Defence of the government of Israel, is the governmental department responsible for defending the State of Israel from internal and external military threats...
, stated that "The rabbis' letters is part of a racistRacismRacism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
tidal wave threatening to sweep Israeli society into dark and dangerous zones. The Labor Party under my authority is working to draw all of Israel's citizens together, in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence." - KnessetKnessetThe Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
SpeakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
Reuven RivlinReuven RivlinReuven "Rubi" Rivlin is an Israeli lawyer, politician, currently serving as a speaker of the Knesset. He belongs to conservative Likud. A former Speaker of the Knesset, in 2007 he ran in the election for President as the Likud candidate...
(Likud), the told HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
in in interview that "In my opinion, their statement shames the Jewish people...I see this general statement as an embarrassment to the Jewish people, and another nail in the coffin of Israeli democracy. Let me make this absolutely clear: I believe these people do the most damage to the state of Israel." Rivlin stated that "Israel can justify its faith in itself as a Jewish stateJewish stateA homeland for the Jewish people was an idea that rose to the fore in the 19th century in the wake of growing anti-Semitism and Jewish assimilation. Jewish emancipation in Europe paved the way for two ideological solutions to the Jewish Question: cultural assimilation, as envisaged by Moses...
only if it wields its democratic powers totally and unreservedly. This moral right will be taken from us if we prove to the world that, when it comes to democracy, we deny anything which does not suit us from a Jewish point of view." He also urged the attorney generalAttorney General of IsraelThe Attorney General of Israel stands at the head of the legal system of the executive branch and the head of the public legal establishment, in charge of protecting the rule of law and as such entrusted with protecting the public interest from possible harm by government authorities...
to determine whether the letter constitutes incitementIncitementIn English criminal law, incitement was an anticipatory common law offence and was the act of persuading, encouraging, instigating, pressuring, or threatening so as to cause another to commit a crime....
, a crime in Israel. - Rabbi Aharon LichtensteinAharon LichtensteinAharon Lichtenstein is a noted Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva.Rabbi Lichtenstein was born in Paris, France, but grew up in the United States, studied in Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin under Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner...
, head of Yeshivat Har EtzionYeshivat Har EtzionYeshivat Har Etzion, ', commonly known as "Gush," is a hesder yeshiva located in Alon Shvut, a community in Gush Etzion in the West Bank, near Jerusalem, Israel. With a student body of 484, it is one of the largest hesder yeshivas in Israel...
and a major religious Zionist rabbinical figure, wrote a lengthy and erudite letter of opposition. - Rabbis Yosef Shalom Eliashiv and Aharon Leib Shteinman, the leading AshkenazicAshkenazi JewsAshkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
HarediHaredi JudaismHaredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
rabbis in Israel, strongly condemned the edict. - Almost all American rabbis also condemned the letter. An online petition for rabbis posted by the New Israel FundNew Israel FundThe New Israel Fund is a U.S. based non-profit organization established in 1979, and describes its objective as social justice and equality for all Israelis.-Ideology:...
on December 10 had 914 rabbi signatories five days later; by January 7, 2011, the petition had well over one thousand signatures. The petition stated that "Am Yisrael knows the sting of discriminationDiscriminationDiscrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
, and we still bear the scars of hatred. When those who represent the official rabbinic leadership of the State of Israel express such positions, we are distressed by this Chillul HaShemChillul HashemDesecration of the Name meaning desecration of the names of God in Judaism, is a term used in Judaism particularly for any act or behavior that casts shame or brings disrepute to belief in God, any aspect of the Torah's teachings, Jewish law, or the Jewish community.-Hebrew Bible:The source for...
, desecrationDesecrationDesecration is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful or contemptuous treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual.-Detail:...
of God's nameNames of God in JudaismIn Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
...Statements like these do great damage to our efforts to encourage people to love and support Israel. They communicate to our congregants that Israel does not share their values, and they promote feelings of alienation and distancing." Notable American rabbis who signed included ConservativeConservative JudaismConservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Conservative Rabbinical AssemblyRabbinical AssemblyThe Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
, ReformReform JudaismReform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
Rabbi David SapersteinDavid Saperstein (rabbi)David Saperstein is a rabbi, lawyer, and Jewish community leader. He has served as the director and chief legal counsel at the Union for Reform Judaism's Religious Action Center for more than 30 years. Saperstein succeeded Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch as leader of the Washington D.C.-based political...
, the director of the Religious Action CenterReligious Action CenterThe Religious Action Center is the political and legislative outreach arm of Reform Judaism in the United States. The RAC is operated under the auspices of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, a joint body of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Union for Reform Judaism...
of the Union for Reform JudaismUnion for Reform JudaismThe Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
), and OrthodoxOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
Rabbis Avi WeissAvi WeissAvraham Weiss is an American Modern Orthodox rabbi who heads the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale in The Bronx, New York. He is an author, teacher, lecturer, and activist...
, the leader of the Hebrew Institute of RiverdaleHebrew Institute of RiverdaleHebrew Institute of Riverdale is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in the Riverdale, Bronx neighborhood of New York City. Rabbi Avi Weiss has led the congregation since 1973....
and Marc Angel. Signatories included members of all major American Jewish denominations. A separate condemnation was issued by the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of AmericaRabbinical Council of AmericaThe Rabbinical Council of America is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU...
. - Roughly 50 Israeli MasortiMasortiThe Masorti Movement is the name given to Conservative Judaism in Israel and other countries outside Canada and U.S. Masorti means "traditional" in Hebrew...
rabbis signed a counter-letter allowing Jews to rent to non-Jews, while 40 female Israeli ReformReform JudaismReform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
rabbis representing the Israel Movement for Progressive JudaismIsrael Movement for Progressive JudaismThe Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism is the organizational branch of Progressive Judaism in Israel. It currently has around 30 communities around the state of Israel including two kibbutzim, Yahel and Lotan, Israel....
issued a counter-letter proclaiming "professional and social contacts" between Jews and non-Jews to be positive and that "Jews who are confidant in their Jewish identity do not have to fear contact with people from other nations," a statement also supported by the council's 50 male Reform rabbis The Reform rabbis also argued that the rebbetzins' attitude toward Israeli girls was "condescending", portrayed them as "weak", and perpetuated male chauvinism. Their counter-letter encouraged Israelis not to listen to "hate-mongers and fanatics". - Holocaust survivors condemned the letter. Noah Flug, the chairman of the International Association of Holocaust Survivors, stated that "As someone who suffered as a Jew and underwent the Holocaust, I remember the Nazis throwing Jews out of their apartments and city centres in order to create ghettos. I remember how they wrote on benches that no Jews were allowed, and of course it was prohibited to sell or rent to Jews. We thought that in our country this wouldn't happen."
Support
- Eliyahu was supported by members of the KnessetKnessetThe Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
Ya'akov KatzYa'akov Katz (politician born 1951)Ya’akov Dov "Katzele" Katz is an Israeli politician. He currently leads the National Union party, for whom he is a member of the Knesset, and is also the Executive Director of Beit El yeshiva Center Institutions and Arutz Sheva....
and Uri ArielUri ArielUri Yehuda Ariel is an Israeli politician who current serves as a member of the Knesset for the National Union.-Biography:Born in Afula, Ariel served in a combat unit called Palsar 7 in the Israel Defense Forces and retired as a major...
of the National UnionNational Union (Israel)The National Union is an alliance of nationalist political parties in Israel. In the 2009 elections the National Union consisted of four parties: Moledet, Hatikva, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and Tkuma.-Background:...
, who condemned the "summoning to interrogation of the great leaders of Israel" and the "persecution of the TorahTorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
and its rabbis." National Union MK Michael Ben-AriMichael Ben-AriMichael Ben-Ari is an Israeli politician, and a current member of the Knesset for the National Union party. He is the first outspoken disciple of Rabbi Meir Kahane to be elected to the Knesset. He has a Ph.D in Land of Israel studies.-Biography:...
proposed a billBill (proposed law)A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
(originally drafted by former MK Shmuel HalpertShmuel HalpertRabbi Shmuel Halpert is an Israeli politician and a former fember of the Knesset for the ultra-orthodox party Agudat Yisrael , part of the United Torah Judaism alliance...
of Agudat Yisrael) that would give rabbis who work for the state immunity from prosecution from actions and pronouncements in connection with leadership duties or religious pronouncements, similar to the parliamentary immunityParliamentary immunityParliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which members of the parliament or legislature are granted partial immunity from prosecution. Before prosecuting, it is necessary that the immunity be removed, usually by a superior court of justice or by the parliament itself...
enjoyed by MKs.