Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef Criticizes High Court Over Memorial Event Ban

Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yitzhak Yosef, has strongly criticized the Supreme Court's decision to prevent the state from holding a memorial event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the late spiritual leader of the Shas party. Rabbi Yosef announced in a video message that he is calling on the public to hold private memorial gatherings across the country in response to the court's ruling.

"We are approaching the memorial day for Maran (our master), the father, in less than a month. Unfortunately, the power of the left has grown. The legal advisor has finally decided not to hold a memorial for Maran," Rabbi Yosef stated. He urged supporters to organize "at least a thousand memorial events in every corner of the country, in every synagogue and every place. Maran doesn't need this, we need this to strengthen Maran's legacy."

Rabbi Yosef also invited the public to send him their names so he could pray for them at Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's grave. He questioned why memorial events for Yitzhak Rabin, a political figure, are not prohibited, while an event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, described as a giant of Torah, is banned. "He doesn't ban Rabin because he is left-wing. He bans the Rabbi," Yosef asserted.

"We don't need to consider them. We will hold memorial events in every city and every settlement. Everyone loved Maran. No decision will erase the people's love for him. 'No weapon formed against you shall prosper,'" he concluded, quoting from the Book of Isaiah.