Dozens Of National Religious Rabbis Condemn Arrest Of Chabad Rabbi Whose Book Calls For The Murder Of Arab Babies

The Religious Zionist movement has issued a blanket condemnation of the arrest of Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira over the book he authored. Dozens of rabbis, Knesset members, and National Religious public figures have signed a petition against the rabbi's arrest, claiming that he expressed "a halachic opinion."

Rabbis oppose Yitzhak's arrest
Dozens of rabbis, National Religious figures sign condemnation of Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira's arrest over book. Rabbi Aviner tells Ynet: I am opposed to book, but religious laws governing killing non-Jews outlined in it are legitimate, must be dealt with halachically'
Kobi Nahshoni • Ynet
   
The Religious Zionist movement has issued a blanket condemnation of the arrest of Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira over the book he authored. Dozens of rabbis, Knesset members, and National Religious public figures have signed a petition against the rabbi's arrest, claiming that he expressed "a halachic opinion."

The petition also came out against the manner in which he was arrested – in the middle of the night by dozens of policemen.

Beit El Rabbi Shlomo Aviner told Ynet on Monday that the book "Torat Hamelech" is a "halachic-academic work, a pedagogical work," and, therefore, there is no justification to send its author to prison.
 
According to Aviner, the "'religious laws governing the killing of a non-Jew' outlined in the book are a legitimate stance and must be addressed via clarification of halachic sources and nothing else."
 
'Treated like worst of criminals'

Despite this, Rabbi Aviner said that he is against the book's publication. "I do not think it is correct to write various halachas on killing a non-Jew, just a Swede should not write about killing a Norwegian," he said. "It is clear that it is forbidden to kill non-Jews for naught, and it is clear that in a time of war, it is permissible to defend yourself against anyone shooting at you, even if he is a 'good' person."
 
Even head of the Tzohar organization, Rabbi David Stav, known as one o the moderate forces within Religious Zionism, condemned Shapira's arrest: "Regardless of the level of halachic legitimacy of his opinions, it is unreasonable and illogical that a rabbi in Israel be treated like the worst of criminals. For some reason, they are treating him in a way they would not dare treat public officials or even Palestinians."
 
Rabbi Stav said that he would expect the security forces to contact Shapira and summon him to the police station honorably, and not treat him as someone who is likely to escape and evade investigation.

"Nothing new happened yesterday or today," he mentioned. "Apparently, it was simply a desire to mock and humiliate him."

In principle, the Tzohar chairman believes the State has the right to arrest rabbis over their halachic positions if they believe there is significant concern that they may be acted on or could realistically encourage breaking the law so as to prevent "chaos."

"A distinction must be made between making a theoretical statement and a model for an operative plan of action," he said. "For this matter, even if it is halachically permissible to kill Arabs, it is the State's right to arrest whoever says this," he said.

Ronen Medzini contributed to this report.

Here is the Jerusalem Post report on Shapira's arrest:

Settler rabbi suspected of incitement
Police question Rabbi Shapira about writings, then release him.
By JONAH MANDEL AND JPOST.COM STAFF

A large number of police descended upon the home of Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira early Monday morning to bring him in for questioning. Shapira, head of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva in the Jewish settlement of Yitzhar, was arrested in January on suspicion of direct involvement in the arson attack on a mosque in the West Bank, but was released after questioning.

Israel Radio reported that Shapira was detained on Monday because of a book he published, called Torat Hamelech, which deals primarily with the halachic rulings regarding the permissibility of killing non-Jews.

The rabbi is suspected of inciting violence against non-Jews.

He was released by authorities and allowed to return home Monday after being  interrogated. Shapira reportedly told police that his work was a book regarding the interpretation of religious law and not an incitement to action.

MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) criticized the state prosecutor over the arrest of Rabbi Shapira for writings in his book Torat HaMelech on Monday.

"Shai Nitzan of the state prosecution has appointed himself as a censor. In this country it is permitted incite against and oppose Judaism in the name of "freedom of expression," yet rabbis are led away in handcuffs for writing books," said Ben-Ari. "Shai Nitzan is returning us to the days of Czarist Russia," he added.

Some of the halachic guidelines mentioned at the back of Torat Hamelech in a section entitled "Conclusions - Chapter Five: The Killing of Gentiles in War," include the following prescription, "There is a reason to kill babies [on the enemy side] even if they have not transgressed the seven Noahide Laws [to believe in God, not to commit idolatry, murder, theft or adultery, to set up a legal system, and not to tear a limb from a live animal] because of the future danger they may present, since it is assumed that they will grow up to be evil like their parents...."

Matthew Wagner contributed to this report.

This is what the National Religious rabbis say is a legitimate Torah opinion:

"There is a reason to kill babies [on the enemy side] even if they have not transgressed the seven Noahide Laws [to believe in God, not to commit idolatry, murder, theft or adultery, to set up a legal system, and not to tear a limb from a live animal] because of the future danger they may present, since it is assumed that they will grow up to be evil like their parents...."

Should this Nazism-in-the-guise-of-Torah be dealt with halakhicly?

Of course it should.

But the state and the Jewish people do not have the dozens of years (or longer) rabbis will need to "deal" with it, and neither do innocent non-Jews who will be killed or maimed by Shapira's crazed students.

Those students are exceedingly violent and have been implicated in dozens of attacks against Arabs and Israeli soldiers and are believed to be the initiators of the so-called price tag strategy, which calls for random attacks against Arabs and Israeli police in retribution for every act the government takes to further peace.

No prudent police force would give those students and their leader the opportunity to prepare for the arrest, and no prudent government with incitement laws would allow Shapira to walk free.

Here's an example of Shapira's price tag policy in action from today's Ynet:

West Bank demolitions prompt riots, arrests, 'price tag' missions
Civil Administration's razing of two caravans, goat pen in Givat Ronen leads settlers to crowd near Burin village, clash with Palestinians, who respond by hurling stones. One Palestinian injured, four settlers wounded
Aviel Magnezi • Ynet

Civil Administration forces demolished two illegal caravans and a goat pen on Monday which were built in Givat Ronen in the West Bank in violation of freeze orders. The razing was accompanied by riots leading to the arrest of two settlers. Three others were detained for questioning. The settlers claimed that security forces acted brutally using excessive force.

Following the demolition, the settlers embarked on a "price tag" mission involving protests, the blocking of roads and an attempt to torch an open field.

The Palestinians, meanwhile reported that a Burin village resident was injured after dozens of settlers attacked the village, apparently as part of revenge for the Givat Ronen razing.

According to the report, the settlers tried breaking through the Hawara checkpoint, which had been closed to prevent their entry into Palestinian territory.

The clashes quickly escalated with Palestinians responding by hurling stones. Four settlers were injured during the clashes, One settler, a 30-year-old man, sustained serious head wounds and was rushed to the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva for treatment. The rest were lightly injured, and one of them was evacuated to Schneider Medical Center while the others were treated on the spot.

Civil Administration head Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai contacted Palestinian officials in an attempt to convey a calming message.

The settlers, on their part, claimed that security forces had demolished a home worth hundreds of thousands of shekels built by a young couple.

Har Bracha secretary Yisrael Saadia, who was present during the demolition, told Ynet of the violence exorcised by the security forces. "A bunch of special unit officers came hitting women and children and anyone who stood in their way. Guys who were on the floor continued getting beat up," he claimed.

Shomron Regional Council Head Gershon Mesika noted, "This isn't Barak. It’s Netanyahu. He's the one behind the useless and despicable demolition of a house built by a young couple who spent all their savings on it, while hundreds of illegal Arab houses are being built in the neighboring villages. We shall rebuild the house."

Raanan Ben-Zur contributed to this report.

More On Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

More On Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

Comments

[Mr. Apikoros]

Send this rabbinical rubbish to Gitmo, along with the self-styled editor of Wikileaks.

[David]

Scum.

[harold]

A large number of police descended upon the home of Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira

I guess when it comes to Chabad, both in Israel and in the US one needs a large police force. Must be the fear of the Army of Hashem.

[Jeff]

This bothers them. Arresting a woman for holding a Torah doesn't.

[seymour]

Some of the halachic guidelines mentioned at the back of Torat Hamelech in a section entitled "Conclusions - Chapter Five: The Killing of Gentiles in War," include the following prescription, "There is a reason to kill babies [on the enemy side] even if they have not transgressed the seven Noahide Laws [to believe in God, not to commit idolatry, murder, theft or adultery, to set up a legal system, and not to tear a limb from a live animal] because of the future danger they may present, since it is assumed that they will grow up to be evil like their parents...."

to many times the utra frum sound more and more like Hitler

how long will it take before we have radical rebbies sending out bombers.
The first step is I have a legitimate reason to do it.

[Alter Kocker]

The sooner that we recognise religious extremism as the cancer that it is, the sooner we can reconcile our differences. I am not just talking about the Jewish people but all peoples. Religion has been at the root of many conflicts over the past two milennia and in a modern world there is no place for this mindset.

Religious extremists like this trash need to be re-educated. Certainly you can twist any law or mode of thinking to justify just about anything you wish. However, espousing the murder of the innocent for your perception of future acts is at once disgusting and monstrous. We condemn the ayatollahs of the world and mullahs for being pre-historic in their thinking and then produce similar religious zealots.

It is time to stand up to these freaks of nature and if need be excise them from our midst.

[seymour]

regarding my previous post.

free speech usa style he should not be arrested. Condemned yes arrested no

[David]

I guess when it comes to Chabad, both in Israel and in the US one needs a large police force. Must be the fear of the Army of Hashem.

Harold, what part of "Chillul Hashem" don't you understand? I am no lover of Arabs. but I don't go around saying to kill their babies.

[harold]

It is the Jewish tradition to question everything and analyze all actions from a halachic perspective. I am sure that the US has a set of rules of engagement in times of conflict. How else would a soldier know what his actions should be in times of combat? The problem here is in its timing. We are in a delicate period of trying to hammer out peace with the Arabs and do not need this type of halachic discourse to create a rift. Let him write what he wants just don't publish it and he should not be allowed to discuss it in a public forum for the same reasons.

In periods of war many times personal liberties are suppressed. That’s the way it is.

[David]

I am sure that the US has a set of rules of engagement in times of conflict.

Neither the US or any other Western nation that ostensibly follows the Noachide laws (or any other civilised laws) advocates killing babies of the enemy. Indeed, such acts would be SEVERELY prosecuted.

[chaim]

chaim says
without getting involved in this argument.
the torah says that the seven nations of canaan should all be wiped out including women and children.
apparently idol worshippers have also lost their kids life.
by korach it says that even babes in arms were enclosed in the earth.
there is a precedent.

[seymour]

chaim says
without getting involved in this argument.
the torah says that the seven nations of canaan should all be wiped out including women and children.
apparently idol worshippers have also lost their kids life.
by korach it says that even babes in arms were enclosed in the earth.
there is a precedent.

Posted by: chaim | July 26, 2010 at 09:40 AM

Just like the nazis, if it is good for us it is good for them. Do not complain about them

[harold]

Neither the US or any other Western nation that ostensibly follows the Noachide laws (or any other civilised laws) advocates killing babies of the enemy. Indeed, such acts would be SEVERELY prosecuted.

They would not use the term "killing babies" they would use terms like non-combatants or civilians, the point being there are rules of engagements in place.

[A. Nuran]

So the only thing wrong with the Nazis is who was being killed. We need the lebensraum. Nits make lice.

I say we go full-Torah, full-Mitzvah. Kill the men. Kill the women. Kill the children. Take a few of the prettier virgins home to rape. Laugh for joy while you march them off to the Camps. The cries of the girls as you tear away their virginities should be music in your ears. It's what God commands.

If that's True Torah Judaism, then Satan and Moloch start looking a lot more reasonable.

[OMG]

Harold, the issue with this extreme rabbi, is that he is trying to justify killing of none combatants, even babies, when the Geneva Convention laws is clear. I am wondering if what would you say, if here in the states we have a Mu'allim issuing a fatwa that not only, it is permissible to kill a Jewish baby, but it is required, what would be your solution.

[SJ]

This Rabbi is a nutcase, but if he is to be arrested for a book like this then I'm sure there's a number of Arab Israelis / Palestinians who can be arrested also. There's certainly extremists in the Arab sector of Israel.

[harold]

I say we go full-Torah, full-Mitzvah. Kill the men. Kill the women. Kill the children.

I did not read what he wrote, but I don't think he advocated taking non-Jews off the streets of Jerusalem minding their own business, shopping for milk and bread, and butchering them. I would assume that the writings were more of situations in time of combat. If I am wrong in my assumptions then please elighten me as to just what scenario one may take a non-jewish baby out of a crib and slit its throat.

[OMG]

Posted by: chaim | July 26, 2010 at 09:40 AM
Yes that is the problem; this is “the reason” why I don’t subscribe to Orthodox Judaism. I don’t see any justification for killing babies who didn’t do a thing, if you value life you cannot rationalize killing of babies by Pharaoh or by the Hebrews during the wars for the land of Israel. Not to justify what we did during that time but it seems that killing of the male babies was the norm not only by the Hebrews but by other countries in that era.

[Bassy the Haredi Slayer]

Obviously Shapira is a raging idiot but arresting people for writing a book is not the way healthy society behaves.

BTW, there is a Banned Books Weeks in September http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banned_Books_Week.

I hope there is something like the ACLU over there to take the case.

I also do not want to get arrested for advocating dropping MOAB on Ramat Beit Shemesh (faster please)

[Der Blau Onkel]

Specific commanded events in Torah are not precedent for anything unless they were accounted as such by the system. If they were not, they ARE not precedent. If they were - it means they were at sometime *unless the systems says they are SYSTEMATICALLY precedent*.

[chaim]

chaim says
they were not always commanded to kill 'all'. with the midianites the very young girls were allowed to live.
this was not the case the canaanites.
as it happens the jews did not keep it properly and let them live and that caused them to do idol worship in the first temple.
things on this earth are not all they seem in heaven they look upon it differently.
i have not read the book and dont intend to but i would like to know where it says yishmael has to be wiped out fully like amalek. and i am not sure if its only amalek or all of edom like yoav.

[Chabadnik Attorney]

Posted by: David | July 26, 2010 at 09:21 AM

Did you ever hear of hiroshima and nagasaki

[OMG]

Chabadnik Attorney @ 12:07;
That was Collateral damage, inasmuch, this sorry excuse for a rabbi, is trying to justify premeditated killing of defenseless babies

[yankele]

Just wondering, how is the radical fundamentalism of this Rabbi Shapiro different than the radical fundamentalism of Hamas and Hezbollah???

Oh, yeah. When a Jew does it/says this he is RIGHTFULLY condemned by his fellow statesman (in Israel) and by his fellow co-religionists, (including the many frummers who post on this blog.)

With our cousins from "The Religion of Peace." People line up outside his mothers home to accept sweets after he detonates himself in a cafe.

[effie]

Yawn. Under the GC, it is a war crime for the enemy to hide amongst civilians. This includes hiding war industries in residential areas, which is what was done in Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. Germany and Japan were the war criminals - not the Allies or the US

[OMG]

yankelel;
Fanaticism is wrong regardless on which side the argument you stand. Is it a Muslim who preaches Jihad, or Jew who preaches killing of babies, or Nazis who wants to kill every Jew, or Christians who are willing to kill abortionist, all are despicable people, who cloak themselves in religion.

[Spherical Thinking]

Yankele, et al,
It is of no help to anyone to defend ours by comparing them to theirs. How do the horrible things that Nassrallah says in any way mitigate what Shapira says? Let's just evaluate Shapira on his own merits, without dragging ourselves into the gutter.

On a related matter, it seems to me that nations who wage war and avoid harming civilians while their opponent does not, can't win. Challenge: can any of you provide an example that contradicts my conclusion?

[Chicago Sam]

Shapira is a good Lubavitcher, and he reflects a true Lubavitcher ideaology. I have not heard much about Lubas criticizing him, because in principle they agree with his radical agenda.

[Dr. Dave]

He does have the right to free speech.

And it's not like he dissed the Rebbe or anything serious like that.

[A. Nuran]

Harold, that repulsive piece of filth named Shapira declared that murdering Gentile babies was halachically fine because they might grow up to do something bad. That's pretty clearly "Nits make lice", Blood Guilt or "Kill them all. The Lord will know His own."

[harold]

Harold, that repulsive piece of filth named Shapira declared that murdering Gentile babies was halachically fine because they might grow up to do something bad

If that is what he wrote then it doesn't sound like much of a scholarly work and I can't see many people buying it to have in their library. Sounds more like the ravings of a lunatic who I assume has little following (or should have little following).

[yankele]

Dear OMG and Spherical Thinking,

Was I not clear. I thought the ALL CAPS would remove all doubt.

My point was that While Shapira is being RIGHTFULLY lambasted both in Israel and amongst JEWS, Nasrallah is hailed as a hero by many, and condemned by NO ONE.

[OMG]

Yankele @ 4:00PM
Yes I understood what you’re trying to educate us, but you see I don’t care about my cousin’s lack of civility and decency, and humanity, as much I don’t care about the KKK and the Nazi parties herein the US, I know who they are and what they stand for, but this so called rabbi, to say and write his garbage and lunacy, we must shine a bright light, on our own vile disgusting P.O.S.

[the usual chaim.]

whomever it was that said that civil society should not prevent the publication of material that serves to incite violence is just wrong. inciting violence does not fall under the rubric of free speech... especially in a country where rhetoric is probably the most dangerous weapon there is. even though no one actually said "kill rabin" the rhetoric was "he deserves to die" and someone responded.

[Michael David Kittell]

I have been for years telling my more liberal friends that they do not have to be afraid of a possible "Jewish Ayatollah" scenario, but now I am not so sure. If these guys ever get a real fake Sanhedrin going or a false Moshiach I think that's exactly what we would see, a Jewish bunch of Mullahs

[A E ANDERSON]

I'd say this guy is the West Bank Settler version of Der Stürmer publisher Julius Streicher, and it's high time he be defrocked from the rabbinate and locked up as a menace to world peace, not to mention yet-unkilled Arab babies.

Now that allegations have been raised that hate-monger Yitzhak Shapira is a Chabadnik, it is now incumbent on Krinsky and Shemtov to issue a statement expressing the fact that this man is not recognised as a Chabad representative. Chabad.org identifies one Mr. Eliezer Eitan, and not Shapira, as the shliach in Yizhar, Israel, which would tend to indicate that he is not part of the Chabad organisation. (Which begs the question why this blog identifies him as Chabad when Chabad itself does not!)

His wikipedia entry does not mention Chabad, but only that he was a student of AY Kook and Yitzchak Ginsburgh, the latter being a shadowy kabbalistic figure from whom Chabad has gone to lengths to distance from them. Ginsburgh is another nut case who penned tract "Baruch Hagever" praising the deranged YU doctor, Baruch Goldstein, for massacring Arabs in the Machpelah cave. In all fairness to him, however, there is a strong alternative view in the haredi world that Goldstein acted in self-defence.

[A E ANDERSON]

I have to amend my earlier comment to say that according to the Hebrew Wikipedia, Ginsburgh is a full-blown Lubav:

"הרב יצחק גינזבורג (נולד בתש"ד - 1944) הוא רב חסיד חב"ד, ראש ישיבת עוד יוסף חי ביצהר, וראש תנועת "גל עיני".

Of course, he's described as a Chabad Hasidic rabbi, and not as a representative of Chabad or a Chabad institution. And, of course, the fact he lives in Kfar Chabad means he's accepted as a bona fide member of the "Anshei Shlomeiniu" (men of our predilection), which used by Chabad and other closed groups to denote members of a common cause or persuasion. אנ"ש is the term Chabadskers use to refer to other Lubavs in the plural, as in Anash Directory, Anash List, An Open Letter to Anash, etc.

[Dave]

This "rabbi" Shapira is a disgusting hate-monger.

[Шнеерсон]

Actually he is just committing chabad beliefs to text and this is what people cannot handle.

Behind closed doors chabad is not exactly a nice cult.

[just me]

he is not just being arrested or questioned for writing the book. coteret provides translations from earlier press regarding the incitement of the price tag attacks.

[Nobody]

His book doesn't call for murder of Arab babies. What an atrocious lie. This story is already old news and we discussed this book already when it came out months ago right here on this site. These idiotic claims were refuted then too.

[Nobody]

Effie wrote: "Yawn. Under the GC, it is a war crime for the enemy to hide amongst civilians. This includes hiding war industries in residential areas, which is what was done in Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. Germany and Japan were the war criminals - not the Allies or the US"

That's also done in Gaza, genius.

[chabadnik attorney]

Posted by: OMG | July 26, 2010 at 12:26 PM

OMG, I didn't read the book. I condemn advocating the killing of children or any Arabs for that matter except in self defense. I only point out that it is not a unique view that the killing of children can be necessary at war time. I agree that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are distinguished as children weren't intentionally targeted. However, the innocent men, women and children that were killed en mass cannot be said to merely have been collateral damage. Entire cities were destroyed.