Supreme Court Case Over Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Memorial Canceled After Event Cancellation

A petition filed by the Shas party against the Attorney General's stance on a state-sponsored memorial event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has been dismissed by the Supreme Court without a substantive ruling. The court declared the case theoretical after the planned October 6-8 event was canceled due to scheduling conflicts and the Attorney General's concerns about its proximity to upcoming elections. The cancellation was announced by the Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services, Yehuda Avidan, who cited the impossibility of completing preparations given the timeline, the Attorney General's position, and the ongoing legal proceedings.

During the hearing, Shas's legal representative, Guy Busi, vehemently criticized the Attorney General, accusing her of launching a "crusade" and "persecution" against Rabbi Yosef's legacy, which he claimed led to the event's cancellation. He alleged "deliberate and systematic harassment" against the religious public and the late Rabbi. The Supreme Court justices acknowledged that the cancellation rendered the petition theoretical but noted that this outcome does not preclude future petitions on similar matters.

The Attorney General had argued that the memorial event, mandated by a law passed in 2025 to honor Rabbi Yosef, should be held closer to his death anniversary on October 14th. However, the Ministry of Religious Services had initially moved the event to early October to avoid conflicts with the upcoming elections. The Attorney General believed even the earlier date was too close to the elections, given Rabbi Yosef's prominent role in Shas's campaign, and suggested postponing it until after the elections.

Shas countered that the Attorney General's position constituted selective enforcement, drawing a parallel to state memorial events for Yitzhak Rabin scheduled just five days before the elections. The party argued that this disparity raised concerns of biased and political application of the law and that the decision hurt the feelings of hundreds of thousands of Jews who revered Rabbi Yosef.

Shas party chairman, Aryeh Deri, expressed deep sorrow over the cancellation and the court's decision, calling it "callous" and a "patronizing and discriminatory" treatment of the religious public. He stated that the event's cancellation would not stop Rabbi Yosef's legacy and reinforced his party's resolve to reform the justice system.