Top Official Slams Court for Blocking Ovadia Yosef Memorial Event

The Director-General of the Ministry of Religious Services, Yehuda Avidan, expressed anger following the High Court of Justice's decision to reject an appeal by the Shas party regarding the cancellation of memorial events for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The events, intended to commemorate the late Sephardic spiritual leader, were slated to be held at Binyanei Ha'uma in Jerusalem but were ultimately called off due to scheduling conflicts.

Avidan stated in an interview that he had proposed holding the event at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem or another venue in Tel Aviv or Haifa, even without any politicians present. He accused the court of "clinging to procedure" and preventing the event from taking place, arguing that the court "knows how to step outside the framework when it wants to" but failed to do so in this instance.

He vehemently denied claims from the Attorney General's office that the event posed a risk of becoming political, especially so close to an election. Avidan revealed that he had offered a compromise where no politicians would speak, and crucially, no politicians would even attend the venue. "You can't erase the legacy of Maran," Avidan asserted, referring to Rabbi Yosef, adding that government conferences typically do not involve politics.

Avidan explained that the Ministry of Religious Services itself could not appeal the Attorney General's decision, despite his strong written objections. Shas filed the appeal because the legacy of Rabbi Yosef is dear to them, and they felt most affected by the cancellation. Avidan lamented that the court focused on technicalities instead of allowing the significant memorial event to proceed.