Chief Rabbi Isaac Yosef Urges Protesters to Avoid Blocking Roads During Bnei Brak Prayer Rally

Chief Rabbi Isaac Yosef, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, issued a letter ahead of a large prayer rally scheduled for Monday evening in Bnei Brak. He warned participants not to block Highway 4 or any other roads, urging them to protest only through prayer in accordance with Torah principles. The rally is set to take place at 9:30 p.m. along Eshel Avraham and Ravinov streets in Bnei Brak.

Rabbi Yosef sent his letter to Rabbi Masoud Ben Shimon, the chief rabbi of Bnei Brak, expressing concern that the demonstration might escalate into road blockages. The letter emphasized that the event should be strictly limited in time and that attendees should disperse promptly after the prayer gathering.

The call for the rally was also supported by senior members of the Council of Torah Sages, including Rabbi Moshe Maya, Rabbi Shlomo Machpud, and Rabbi Nissim Ben Shimon. They described the rally as a sacred duty for all Torah scholars and community members to protest the harsh spiritual decrees and the imprisonment of yeshiva students, particularly those from Sephardic communities, which they condemned as discriminatory.

Last week, Rabbi Yosef released a recorded message to detained yeshiva students in military prison, condemning the arrests as unjust and racially motivated, especially targeting Sephardic Torah scholars. He criticized the right-wing government for imposing such decrees and called on authorities to release the students and respect Torah study.

The rally organizers and religious leaders reiterated the importance of peaceful protest through prayer and warned against any form of civil disobedience such as road blockages, emphasizing adherence to Torah conduct during the demonstration.