Der'i Accused of Misrepresenting High Court Ruling on Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Memorial Event

Israel's High Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday that a memorial event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef had become a theoretical issue and would not issue a decision, as the Ministry of Religious Services had already canceled the event. Despite being aware of this development since Tuesday, Shas party chairman Aryeh Der'i claimed the court had ordered the cancellation of the "Hilula" (memorial celebration).

The controversy began when Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara advised against state funding for the event, citing concerns that Shas might exploit it for election propaganda. Shas initially objected, but the Ministry of Religious Services announced on Tuesday that the event, scheduled for October 8-6, would not proceed. The event is mandated by a law passed last year to commemorate Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, requiring state institutions to hold a memorial day.

This year, the timing near the general elections raised concerns for the Attorney General, particularly given Shas's use of Rabbi Yosef's image in its election campaign. Following the court's decision to dismiss the case due to its theoretical nature, Shas issued a statement quoting Der'i, who expressed sorrow and accused the court of insensitivity and preventing a state memorial for the revered rabbi. He stated, "The heart aches. A million people marched behind the coffin of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory, a million people, from all communities and circles, who mourned their rabbi and teacher, and today the High Court judges, with callousness and detachment from the feelings of the masses of Jews, are enabling the prevention of the state memorial ceremony for his legacy."

However, the High Court did not order the cancellation; it merely determined there was no longer a reason to deliberate on the matter. While the Director-General of the Ministry of Religious Services cited the ongoing proceedings as the reason for the event's impossibility, the court itself did not prohibit it. Furthermore, Shas remains permitted to hold other memorial events for the rabbi, provided they are not state-funded.

Der'i also claimed the decision was not a blow to Shas but to a vast traditional and religious public whose legacy and Torah leaders are again subjected to condescending and discriminatory treatment. He vowed that the legal system would be fundamentally reformed to return power to the people and their elected officials, asserting that neither the High Court nor the Attorney General could halt Rabbi Yosef's legacy, which lives on in millions of hearts.