Chief Rabbi Yosef Slams High Court Over Funding Ban for Father's Memorial

Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef launched a sharp attack Wednesday against the Supreme Court and the Attorney General for their decision not to intervene in the cancellation of state funding for the memorial event of his father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The cancellation was based on its proximity to upcoming elections.

Rabbi Yosef urged the public to disregard the ruling and organize independent memorial events, stating, "We don't need to consider them! I call to hold a thousand memorial events for Maran (Rabbi Ovadia Yosef) across the country! We will hold memorial events in every city and every settlement. Everyone loved Maran. No decision will erase the people's love for him. 'Every weapon forged against you shall not prosper.'" He also invited the public to send him their names so he could pray for them at his father's grave.

The former Chief Rabbi protested what he called selective enforcement, comparing the event to other commemorations. He questioned why Rabin's memorial, held by a political figure, was not prohibited, while his father, a giant of Torah, faced such restrictions.

This follows claims by the Shas party that state memorial events for Yitzhak Rabin are scheduled just five days before elections, while the annual commemoration for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, mandated by law and organized by the Ministry of Religious Services, was canceled citing election propaganda.

The Supreme Court's decision, made by a three-judge panel on a petition by Shas against the Attorney General, sparked widespread anger within the party. Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri strongly criticized the ruling, calling it an attack on hundreds of thousands of traditional and religious citizens and their leaders. He vowed that the judiciary would be reformed to return power to the people and their elected officials, asserting that neither the court nor the Attorney General could halt Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's legacy.