Supreme Court Upholds Cancellation of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Memorial Funding

Israel's Supreme Court on Wednesday decided not to intervene in the Attorney General's decision to cancel state funding for the "Hilulat Rabbi Ovadia Yosef" event. The cancellation was based on concerns of political propaganda during an election period. Despite a law establishing an official memorial day for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the court ruled the Attorney General's decision was valid.

Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri criticized the ruling, stating it was not just an attack on his party but on a "vast traditional and faith-based public" whose heritage and Torah leaders are treated with "condescension and discrimination." He vowed that the ruling would strengthen their resolve to reform the justice system and return power to the people and their elected officials, asserting that neither the Supreme Court nor the Attorney General could halt Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's legacy.

Shas also attacked the decision, drawing a parallel to state memorial events for Yitzhak Rabin, which are scheduled shortly before elections. The party argued that if one memorial event is postponed due to its political associations, a similar event, especially one closer to the elections, should also be affected, raising concerns about "discriminatory and political application." Shas further stated the decision "harms the feelings of hundreds of thousands of Jews" for whom Rabbi Ovadia was a spiritual leader, adding that his legacy cannot be erased or diminished, and their love for him cannot be dismissed as "election propaganda."