Jerusalem Faction Rabbi Sends Open Letter to Alon Shvut Rabbis Over Justice Solberg

First published: Just days after the unusual disturbance near the home of Deputy President of the Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg in the Gush Etzion settlement of Alon Shvut, Rabbi Tuvia Halevi Shulzinger, one of the rabbis of the Jerusalem Faction, has issued a harsh letter to the settlement’s rabbis, calling on them not to honor the judge in synagogue. In the letter, sent last Thursday to the rabbis of Alon Shvut, Rabbi Shulzinger calls Justice Solberg a “rebel against the Kingdom of Heaven” and states that he should not be accorded any honor in synagogue, and should not be called up to the Torah at all. The letter comes against the backdrop of the Jerusalem Faction’s protest against Solberg’s order to increase the arrests of draft evaders.

The unusual appeal is being published after the serious incident that occurred near Solberg’s home, when dozens of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators arrived at the scene, broke windows, damaged the entrance to the house, and smashed pots and planters. Following the incident, the Gush Etzion emergency response team was dispatched to protect the house.

The Jerusalem Faction denies any connection to the disturbance, but figures familiar with the struggle say the letter shows that the battle over the arrests of yeshiva students is far from over. According to them, “The coming days will be extremely dramatic, and the struggle will only intensify if the authorities do not leave the young men of Israel alone.”

After the incident, the judiciary said it “views with great severity the violent demonstration near the home of the Deputy President of the Supreme Court.” In its statement, it said this was “a serious and unacceptable incident, beyond the bounds of legitimate protest, in an attempt to harm the sense of security of judicial officeholders and their family members.” The judiciary also said it would act, together with law enforcement and security officials, to ensure the safety of judges. “Attempts to exert pressure, intimidate or deter judges will not affect the performance of their duties,” it said.

Meanwhile, this morning Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended by another four days, until 10.6.26, the detention of 52 of those arrested in the case involving the disturbance and damage at Justice Solberg’s home.