Legal Battle Erupts Over Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Memorial Events

Two fronts have opened concerning the legacy of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a spiritual leader of the Sephardic Haredi community and former spiritual leader of the Shas party. The first involves a dispute between the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, and the Shas party regarding the timing and funding of memorial events for Rabbi Yosef, who passed away on October 14th. The second is a conflict between two of Rabbi Yosef's daughters, Adina Bar-Shalom and Rivka Chikotai, and Shas chairman Aryeh Deri.

The Attorney General's office is primarily concerned with preventing the use of government funds for what it views as a political campaign event during an election period. The Ministry of Religious Affairs proposed a three-day memorial event from October 6th to 8th, which directly overlaps with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks. The Attorney General questioned why the event could not be postponed until after the elections, arguing that holding it on October 7th would be disrespectful to the national memory of that day and could taint Rabbi Yosef's legacy with political infighting.

Rabbi Yosef's daughters, Adina Bar-Shalom and Rivka Chikotai, have publicly criticized Shas, accusing the party of exploiting their father's memory for political gain. They contend that Shas does not represent Rabbi Yosef's true path, which they describe as moderate, tolerant, and supportive of integration and respect for women, contrasting it with the perceived extremism of some Haredi factions. They argue that Shas distorts his legacy for current political needs.

The article draws a parallel to the state-funded commemoration of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated while in office. It suggests that Rabin's memory should be preserved by the state, not a political party or family, and implies a broader political agenda to diminish the legacies of figures associated with liberal democracy in favor of religious leaders.

Ultimately, the article suggests that regardless of funding sources, holding any memorial event on October 7th is politically unwise and potentially alienating even to Shas's own potential voters due to the perceived poor judgment of its leadership.