Religious Services Ministry Slams Legal Advisor Over Rabbi Ovadia Memorial Event

Yehuda Avidan, Director-General of the Ministry for Religious Services, sent a sharp letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Wednesday, protesting a demand to postpone a memorial event and study days for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Avidan asserted that the ministry had acted according to prior agreements and had even moved the event earlier to distance it from election day.

Avidan argued that the legal justifications presented by the Attorney General's office demonstrated a "complete disconnect" and a "basic lack of understanding" of Israeli customs for observing memorial dates. He stressed the importance of holding spiritual preparation and study before, not after, the memorial day itself. Avidan also criticized the demand to cancel gender segregation at the event, stating it is a distinctly religious and Torah-oriented gathering, and that the demand ignores the nature of the event and the legacy of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

The letter claims that during discussions with the ministry's legal counsel, Shiry Fogel, she requested moving the event further from the elections to avoid "idle talk." After consulting with halachic authorities, the ministry agreed to advance the ceremony and memorial events by about a week. Avidan stated that Fogel subsequently issued a positive opinion for the event, which was forwarded to the Attorney General's office. He expressed dismay that after the ministry followed instructions and agreements, it received no legal backing and the event now faces cancellation.

Avidan rejected holding the ceremony after the elections and the memorial day, calling the suggestion "etrogim after Sukkot" (a Hebrew idiom meaning something uselessly late). He explained that the event's purpose is to prepare the public and the younger generation for the memorial day, making a later date meaningless. He also noted that the venues are booked by the Central Elections Committee until about two weeks after the elections, meaning a postponement would push the event back by roughly a month.

Furthermore, the letter contends that the legal advisor's new interpretation deviates from the legislator's intent, citing the explanatory notes to the law and committee protocols that define "in proximity" to include up to a week before the memorial date. Avidan also raised claims of selective enforcement, comparing the demand to postpone this event with other state-funded events, including the memorial day for former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and events at the President's Residence.

Avidan concluded by pledging that the ceremony would contain no political or partisan content, dedicating it solely to Torah, halacha, and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's legacy. He demanded approval for the study days and memorial ceremony as previously agreed upon, to be held one week before the memorial date.