Legal Advisor Criticized for Canceling Memorial Over 'Potential' Political Use
Attorney Zvi Yaffe has sharply criticized the decision by the Attorney General to cancel the memorial service for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, citing concerns that it 'might' be used for election campaigning. Yaffe compares this to the swift condemnation of settlers following an incident in Qusra.
He draws a parallel to Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland," where the Queen of Hearts declares "Sentence first, verdict afterwards." Yaffe argues that the Attorney General has acted similarly by first canceling the memorial and then presenting the justification that it might become a political campaign event. He questions why a similar concern has not been raised regarding the memorial service for Yitzhak Rabin, noting that Rabin's family members have used these state-funded events to criticize sitting prime ministers, including calls for resignation and protests against judicial reform.
Yaffe contends that while the potential for political use of Rabbi Yosef's memorial is speculative ('maybe'), the actions of Rabin's family at their memorial services were actual occurrences, yet no action was taken by the Attorney General. He expresses strong disapproval of the Attorney General's conduct, stating it is not a matter of 'maybe' but a certainty that she is harming the law enforcement system in Israel.
The article also touches upon the incident in Qusra, condemning it as an act of terror and calling for the perpetrators' punishment. However, it criticizes the media and politicians for immediately blaming settlers without concrete evidence, suggesting this is a blood libel. Yaffe posits that the Attorney General might use such incidents as a pretext to halt settlement activities in Judea and Samaria, similar to how she might act based on the 'maybe' of political campaigning at a memorial.
Ultimately, Yaffe argues that while the government has failed to address various issues, including crime and the actions of those desecrating God's name, this failure does not excuse the Attorney General's actions, which he believes are based on speculation and disproportionately target certain groups.
