The election for the two chief rabbis of Jerusalem is less than 48 hours away, and the religious freedom and freedom from religion organization Hiddush has now reportedly made an urgent appeal to Israel’s Attorney General and to the State Prosecutor to disqualify the candidacy of former Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar over what Hiddush says was illegal fundraising Amar did while he was chief rabbi. Hiddush also wants Israel Police to open a criminal investigation.
Above: Rabbi Shlomo Amar
Hiddush Calls For Criminal Investigation Of Former Chief Rabbi Of Israel
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The election for the two chief rabbis of Jerusalem is less than two days away, and the religious freedom and freedom from religion organization Hiddush has now reportedly made an urgent last minute appeal to Israel’s Attorney General and to the State Prosecutor to disqualify the candidacy of former Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar over what Hiddush says was illegal fundraising Amar did while he was chief rabbi. Hiddush also wants Israel Police to open a criminal investigation.
Amar is haredi and was, until a falling out with the late Sefardi haredi supreme rabbinical leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef last year, marked to be Yosef’s successor.
Amar’s candidacy is backed by the right wing Zionist Orthodox HaBayit HaYehudi party and Jerusalem’s secular mayor, Nir Barkat. But that backing is largely the result of backroom dealmaking and horse trading meant to elect an Ashkenazi chief rabbi for Jerusalem who is not haredi.
Hiddush claims that Amar solicited large amounts of money for a private charity while he served as chief rabbi of Israel – a violation of the law other chief rabbis of Israel also engaged in. (Yona Metzger, who served as Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel when Amar was the country’s Sefardi chief rabbi, is currently set to be prosecuted for embezzlement, bribe-taking and related crimes that were in part disguised by similar illegal fundraising activity.)
Amar aides do not dispute that Amar raised the money for the charity.
“The Rishon L’Tzion [the official title of Israel’s Sefardi chief rabbi] works hard to assist and support many charities, including נווה שלו [Naveh Shelo], which works to prevent assimilation,” especially to prevent Jewish women from being seduced by non-Jewish Arab men.
They also claimed that to the best of Amar’s knowledge, he does not have any relatives connected that charity, and therefore nothing is wrong with Amar raising money for it, even while he was chief rabbi of Israel.