Rabbi Avraham Stav Slams Rabbi Aviner's Ruling Against Voting for Ofer Winter's Party

Rabbi Avraham Stav has sharply criticized a ruling by Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, which declared it forbidden to vote for the party of Ofer Winter due to the inclusion of Arab Israeli advocacy activist Josef Haddad. Rabbi Stav asserted that Rabbi Aviner's position does not represent the mainstream of Halakha (Jewish law) and Religious Zionism.

"Rabbi Shlomo Aviner is a scholar with many merits, but his current ruling against Josef Haddad's candidacy is a curiosity," Rabbi Stav stated. He further explained that there is broad consensus among Halakhic authorities regarding the inclusion of non-Jewish representatives on Knesset lists. "It is difficult to count the rabbis of Israel who have directly or indirectly supported parties that included non-Jewish members. Even the most stringent, such as Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, only debated the issue of a government relying on non-Jews, but never considered opposing appointments as Knesset members."

Rabbi Stav concluded by criticizing the public discourse surrounding the issue, expressing concern over the impression it creates. "It is a shame that this ruling is taking up space in public discussion and becoming the face of Halakha and the face of the sector," he said. The original ruling by Rabbi Aviner against voting for Ofer Winter's party, stating "certainly not to vote," had previously generated significant controversy within the rabbinical and national-religious communities.