Shas Party Threatens Legal Action Over State Ceremony for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef

The Shas party is escalating its confrontation with the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, over the state-funded memorial ceremony for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Shas intends to petition the Central Elections Committee to permit the state funding for the commemoration, arguing it does not constitute election propaganda and focuses on Rabbi Yosef's religious and halachic significance rather than his political role.

Should the elections committee reject their appeal, Shas is considering approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the Attorney General's directive that prevents the Ministry of Religious Services from allocating the necessary budget. As an alternative, if legal recourse fails, the party is contemplating organizing a large, private rally in Rabbi Yosef's memory, free from the political restrictions imposed by the Attorney General's office.

The Ministry of Religious Services had initially planned a three-day event at Binyanei Ha'uma, including separate days for men, women, and families, featuring speeches by rabbis and artistic musical programs. The ministry's legal counsel had approved the plan with certain limitations, such as moving the date to avoid proximity to the October 27th elections and excluding politicians and political speeches, to prevent the event from appearing politically motivated, especially given its timing near the elections.

However, the Attorney General's office ruled that the state ceremony could not proceed as planned, citing concerns about election propaganda. The Ministry of Religious Services' director-general, Yehuda Avidan, pointed out that the state ceremony for Yitzhak Rabin, held annually and sometimes featuring political attacks, has not faced similar objections from the Attorney General's office. He also noted that state funding supports Rabin Center events, which also hold memorial gatherings.

Shas estimates that a private, government-funded rally could attract an even larger crowd than initially planned, potentially exceeding the original scope due to the perceived unfairness and illegality of the Attorney General's restrictions. Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, son of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and a member of the Council of Torah Sages, sharply criticized Baharav-Miara, stating, "Let them not listen to her, may God destroy her and give her her punishment. This will not pass in silence."