Minister Slams Israeli Supreme Court Over Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Memorial Event Ban

Israel's Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition by the Shas party concerning the cancellation of a major memorial event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the late spiritual leader of the Sephardic Haredi community. The petition was filed against the Attorney General, who had previously disqualified the planned central events at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, citing their proximity to elections.

During the hearing, the Director-General of the Ministry of Religious Services announced that due to tight scheduling, the ministry would be technically unable to hold the event anyway. This rendered the court's discussion largely theoretical, leading to the dismissal of the petition.

Immediately following the hearing, former Minister of Religious Services and current Knesset Member Michael Malchieli of Shas vehemently criticized the court's decision and the Attorney General's conduct. He accused both the judges and the Attorney General of being unable to tolerate the idea of a large, dignified memorial for Rabbi Yosef, suggesting they preferred a small gathering in a synagogue.

Malchieli argued that the court's dismissal, based on the ministry's technical inability to hold the event, was a direct result of ongoing "persecution" by the Attorney General against religious services. He stated that Shas would not accept any compromises that would demean Rabbi Yosef's memory, comparing the situation to being asked to split a large event into a small gathering in a women's section of a synagogue.

Concluding his remarks, Malchieli vowed that thousands of memorial gatherings would still take place across the country, framing them as a response to the Attorney General and the judges. He asserted that Shas would remain strong and would not allow anyone to "extinguish the candle" of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.