Prominent Rabbi Rules Against Voting for List With Arab Candidate

Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, head of the Bnei David pre-military academy in Eli, has ruled on the religious and political question of whether it is permissible to vote for a Knesset list that includes an Arab candidate.

Rabbi Levinstein stated that this is a fundamental issue that has been debated by prominent rabbis in recent generations, noting that there have been differing opinions. He recalled that while the late Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli, former Rosh Yeshiva of Mercaz HaRav, previously ruled differently, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner recently decided that according to Halakha, a non-Jew cannot be appointed to such a public position.

However, Rabbi Levinstein emphasized that beyond the theoretical Halakhic discussion, the practical issue concerning Haddad is resolved by his stated positions. "Practically, I don't think there's much of a question," Rabbi Levinstein said. "You saw the publications about this specific non-Jew you are talking about, who supports the establishment of a Palestinian state, and he tried to distance himself from things he said and got tangled up. He speaks to Arabs in Arabic in one style, and to Jews in a different style."

According to the rabbi, these positions render the abstract Halakhic debate moot. "It seems to me that the specific question regarding that Arab is self-evident, regardless of the larger question of whether a non-Jew can hold public office or not. He belongs to the group that wants to establish a Palestinian state, and we are completely opposed to the establishment of an enemy state within the territory of the Land of Israel. Even if it were not an enemy, we would not agree to establish such a state, let alone when it is an enemy."