Top Rabbi Defies Court Order, Calls for Mass Memorial Events

The Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, has launched a sharp critique against the Supreme Court and the Attorney General's office following their decision to prohibit the central memorial events for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, scheduled to take place at Binyanei Ha'uma (the International Convention Center) before the upcoming elections. Rabbi Yosef stated that the "power of the left has grown," but urged his followers not to be deterred, vowing to hold "a thousand memorial events" in synagogues and community centers across the country.

Rabbi Yosef expressed his pain over the timing of the decision, which comes less than a month before the anniversary of his father's passing. He accused the Attorney General of ultimately deciding "not to hold a memorial for Maran," referring to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef by his honorific title. In response to the cancellation of the main event, Rabbi Yosef called on the public to circumvent the authorities' decision by organizing numerous local gatherings to commemorate his father's legacy.

He emphasized that these events are not for Rabbi Yosef himself, who is "in heaven enjoying the divine presence," but for the community to strengthen his heritage. He promised a special blessing for anyone who organizes or participates in these remembrance events, offering to place their names on his father's grave for healing, health, and family nachas (satisfaction). He invoked a biblical verse, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper," suggesting divine protection for those honoring his father's legacy.

Rabbi Yosef also criticized the Supreme Court, stating it "clings to the Attorney General and disrespects the legacy of Maran." He questioned why memorial events for Rabin were not prohibited, contrasting Rabin as a political figure with his father as a "man of Torah." He attributed the prohibition to political bias, suggesting that such restrictions are imposed because his father was not aligned with the left.

Concluding his remarks, Rabbi Yosef called for unity among all sectors of Israeli society, including Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities, religious and secular individuals, and all political leanings, highlighting the massive turnout at Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's funeral as evidence of his broad appeal and the need to continue his legacy together.