Israel's Supreme Court Hears Shas Party's Appeal Against Banned Memorial Event

Israel's Supreme Court is currently deliberating an urgent petition filed by the Shas party against the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara. The petition challenges her decision to prohibit a state-sponsored memorial event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a revered Sephardic Rabbi and spiritual leader.

Shas argues that the Attorney General's decision constitutes "selective and political enforcement." The party drew a parallel between the canceled event and the ongoing memorial ceremonies for former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, which are permitted to proceed, especially in proximity to elections.

In their appeal, Shas emphasized that the prohibition of Rabbi Yosef's memorial event is not merely about the event itself but also about deeply hurting the feelings of religious believers. They contend that barring the commemoration for Rabbi Yosef, while allowing Rabin's memorials, is a severe blow to the sentiments of the faithful.

The party seeks to overturn the Attorney General's ruling, asserting that the disparity in treatment between the two memorial events is discriminatory and politically motivated, causing significant offense to their community.