Rabbi Who Issued Fatwa Against Army Officer Detained By Police

Ha'aretz reports:

Police on Tuesday detained for questioning Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the head of the Jerusalem Temple Institute, on suspicion of threatening GOC Central Command Yair Naveh's life and inciting violence..

Ariel was allegedly involved in the issuance of a halakhic ruling against Major General Naveh because of authorization of restraining orders against West Bank settlers. According to the ruling, in signing such orders, Naveh was guilty of crimes punishable by death according to Jewish law.

Ariel has been transferred to the investigation offices of the Jerusalem Police's central unit, where he is relating his version of events.

In mid-January Ariel, along with a group of rabbis linked to the revived Sanhedrin movement - or high court of Jewish law – allegedly issued a letter ruling that Naveh was guilty of three crimes: "Causing the masses to sin"; being a "moser" - someone who informs against fellow Jews or hands over Jews or Jewish land to gentiles; and terrifying the public in a blasphemous way."

In their decision, the rabbis referred to a ruling made by the 12th century Jewish philosopher Maimonides, according to which "it is permissible to kill a moser everywhere, even in this time when the courts do not rule on capital cases."

About a month ago, the State Prosecution decided to open a criminal investigation against the signatories to the halakhic ruling, who include Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the head of the Jerusalem Temple Institute; Rabbi Yehuda Edrey, of the movement to rebuild the temple; Bar Ilan Literature Professor Hillel Weiss; Rabbi Rueven Hass and Rabbi Ido Alba.

Deputy State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan instructed the police to examine how the document was issued and in what circles, because a person cannot be convicted of inciting violence if his or her statements were not published.…

Then Ha'aretz adds a ponted jab at the Sanhedrin itself:

Nitzan also ordered the police to try to determine the size of the population that adheres to rulings issued by the Sanhedrin movement's high court of Jewish law, as the law states that an incitement conviction warrants proof of a "real possibility" that the incitement would provoke violent acts.

I wonder if there is a siding scale of punishment – after all, the only people who follow these nut jobs are other nut jobs. Unfortunately, those nut jobs make up a significant portion of Israel's religious right wing.

The Jerusalem Post adds:

Prof. Hillel Weiss, a member of the rabbinic court that issued the halachic decision, said the detention was an attempt to intimidate his court.

"We refuse to change the way the court makes its decision," said Weiss. "All of our rulings are based on the Torah. I stand behind the president of the rabbinic court [Ariel] even if it means we will be the next Pollards and sit in prison for years."

Amen, sela. Padded cells for them all!

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz still heads this collection of loons. Sad. He should walk away from this insanity. But, worse yet, the Jerusalem Post is reporting that Steinsaltz will be the keynote speaker at the Sanhedrin's annual fundraising dinner, scheduled, by the way, for today. Among the honored guests is Moshe Feiglin, the uber-right-wing nationalist who, one would think, should distance himself from this insanity. That he has not speaks volumes about his true intentions.

Comments

[Noah Smith - Pilegesh.org]

B"H
Make a Torah ruling that may if interpreted incorectly may lead to someone getting killed or hurt you are a nutjob Sanhedrin Rabbi make a political decission that breaks the lives of 8000 Jews you are normal Israeli politician make a political decission that costs 6 million Jewish lives you are a Hitler...
Thus according to Shmaryah the conclussion is obvious the Sanhedrin shouldn't issue such rulings unless thru that it has a good chance of taking over the power in the country like it was done in Iran by the Muslims in 1979. And after that they can throw people like Olmert and Lapid into padded cells and call them nutjobs :-)
PS.

Concerning the arrest of Rabbi Yisrael Ariel for interrogation

Translation from Hebrew of the 16 Kislev 5766 statement

Speaker for the Special Court of Nation and the State: Rabbi Prof. Hillel Weiss

Among the news items, it has come up that Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Chief Justice of the "Special Court for Matters Concerning the Nation and the State", was taken today for interrogation because of rulings given by this court.

As spokesman for the court, and as one of those investigated, I would like to point out that the steps taken against the court, its judges and additional rabbinical figures that were arrested this week -- on the matter of a nationwide struggle against [the government because of its] persecution of the Jews -- continues hour by hour: "But the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest [whose waters cast up mire and dirt]" (Isaiah 57:20). They will not prevent the court, and those who follow its rulings, from legal examination of [those who show] contempt for Jewish Law, and to stand strong for justice. They will not deter justices and people of Torah (Bible) from carving out a truthful judgment based on the veracity of Torah (Bible). The commandment of "Do not change judgment because of any man" (Deuteronomy 1:17) stands before the eyes of every judge who judges according to Jewish Law among [the people of] Israel.

The court operates from the strength and inspiration of the holy teachers who have shown us the way, may their merit protect us: Shimon ben Shetach, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, Yehudah ben Bava.

They will not be able to harm us. We will declare the L-rd holy in the midst of the multitudes. Their scorn for us, He will mitigate.

Rabbi Prof. Hillel Weiss
http://www.thesanhedrin.org/en/legal/psak5767Kislev16.html

[Eshkol Hako-fer]

it is said, (BT Sotah 49:) that in the days preceding the ge-ulah, the forces of sitra achara will show up under the guise of torah jews and will occupy themselves at sowing discord among the jews.
בעקבות משיחא חוצפא יסגא
like in our days
וועד יהיה לזנות
the vaad are those who call themselves sanhedrin
והגליל יחרב
that's the recent lebanon 2 war
ואנשי הגבול יסובבו מעיר לעיר ולא יחוננו
these are the recent galilean refugees
וחכמות סופרים תסרח
those who call themselves sofrim and sanhedrin
והאמת תהא נעדרת
from the mouth of the so called rabbis
אויבי איש אנשי ביתו
those who are self appointed to the synagogues
פני הדור כפני הכלב
self explanatory

[Eshkol Hako-fer]

Reb Shmarya
Adin Steinsaltz is intelligent, full of energy and what not.
His being soft spoken however, conceals a very very overblown ego.
He is also a very mean spirited and racist dictator. A very efficient self marketing machine. You see him once or twice and you think, wow, what a guy.
The third time, one usually have him all figured out. And the sights aint pretty.
He is chotey umachtee umachsheel et harabbim.