The leading Zionist Orthodox candidate for Ashkenazi chief rabbi of
Israel said yesterday that he would not take criticism from convicted
criminals in the Sefardi haredi Shas Party – a reference to Shas
Chairman Aryeh Deri, who is actually a convicted felon convicted on
breach of public trust and bribery charges, and to other Shas leaders
tainted by corruption scandals.
Rabbi David Stav
“I Don’t Need To Take Criticism From People In Shas Who Are Convicted Criminals,” Leading Moderate Zionist Orthodox Rabbi Says
Shmarya Rosenberg • Failedmessiah.com
The leading Zionist Orthodox candidate for Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel said yesterday that he would not take criticism from convicted criminals in the Sefardi haredi Shas Party – a reference to Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri, who is actually a convicted felon convicted on breach of public trust and bribery charges, and to other Shas leaders tainted by corruption scandals.
Moderate Zionist Orthodox Rabbi David Stav made that remark at the President’s Conference in Jerusalem during a conversation with reporter Ilana Dayan, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Stav was harshly attacked Saturday night by the founder and spiritual leader of Shas, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who called him an “evil man” and who appeared to curse Stav with death.
On Sunday, Stav was attacked by a group of haredi yeshiva students at a haredi wedding in Bnei Brak. He shoved, pushed and intentionally tripped by these yeshiva students – thought to be Shas supporters – who also swore at him and cursed him. At the same time, former Housing and Construction Minister Ariel Atias, a former co-head of Shas who himself has been much-criticized for alleged corruption while in office, walked away to show that he would not be seen with or associate with Stav – let alone stop the physical attacks against him.
Stav was forced to flee the wedding.
Asked yesterday by Dayan about Yosef’s remarks, Stav said he greatly admired Yosef halakhic rulings, but at the same time, he would not take criticism from criminals.
“I don’t need to take criticism from people in people in Shas who are convicted criminals and who are not aware of the works and rulings of their own rabbi,” Stav shot back. He also noted the increasingly strict interpretations of halakha (Jewish law) by Sefardi haredim despite more lenient rulings issued previously by Yosef himself.
Despite Yosef’s attack on him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apparent backing for a haredi candidate, Rabbi David Lau, Stav said he still has a chance to win the election for chief rabbi.
“[There are] many Likud MKs who do or will support me either publicly or privately for chief rabbi,” Stav reportedly said.
Asked why Netanyahu was not backing him, Stav replied that it was a question that should be addressed to the prime minister.
Netanyahu has, many believe, cravenly and unabashedly pandered to his loyal haredi allies to the detriment of Israelis as a whole – an allegation Netanyahu, who is widely hated in political circles, has done little to dispel.
Stav also told Dayan that he wants to turn the chief rabbinate into an institution that will inspire Jews to be proud of their heritage and that will cause them to choose to uphold it. But he also noted that the extensive damage done to the image of the chief rabbinate over the last two decades of haredi control by haredim themselves may be difficult to overcome.
The elections for the positions of both Ashkenazi and Sefardi chief rabbi are scheduled to take place the week of July 24.