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Chairman of the Yesha rabbinical council and chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba Rabbi Dov Lior. (Tomer Appelbaum)
Last update - 09:46 20/03/2008
Top Yesha rabbi says Jewish law forbids renting houses to Arabs
By Nadav Shragai, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Yesha council, racism, Jews 

The chairman of the Yesha rabbinical council and chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba, Rabbi Dov Lior, on Wednesday issued a halakhic ruling stating that it is forbidden by Jewish law to employ Arabs or rent homes to them.

In an interview published by "Eretz Israel Shelanu" (Our Land of Israel), to be distributed this Saturday in various synagogues, Lior said that "since this is a matter of endangering souls, it is clear that it is completely forbidden to employ them and rent houses to them in Israel. Their employment is forbidden not only at yeshivas, but at factories, hotels and everywhere."

In the interview, Rabbi Lior backed the decision made by the administration of the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem to prevent Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from visiting the school after an Israeli Arab terrorist killed eight students there two weeks ago. "How can you welcome a man who acts against our holy Torah and continues to lead the people of Israel toward great danger?" Lior said.
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"They were right in refusing to welcome such a personality in the yeshiva's halls," he added.

Rabbi Lior criticized the rabbis who didn't obey Rabbi Abraham Shapira, who instructed Jewish soldiers to refuse orders during the 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. "If the public had ignored the so-called "rabbis" who came out against these instructions, we may very well have spared the great pain [of the disengagement] from the people of Israel," he said.

Recently, several rabbis led by Rabbi Lior have issued a precedent setting halakhic ruling that Israel must shoot civilian populations in areas from whence attacks on Jewish communities originate.

Attorney Einat Horvitz from the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism said in response to the interview that "we view with great concern the wave of calls against Arabs since the terrible terror attack. This is an ever growing phenomenon of racist incitement that distorts Judaism and is also illegal. We call upon the attorney general to shake off his apathy and take action to enforce the laws that prohibit these calls."

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      1.   There`s a place for criminal investigation 20:02  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 19/03/08
      2.   Severe Arab actions engender severe Jewish reactions! 20:05  |  Don`t be so naive. 19/03/08
      3.   The Scions of Righteousness 20:11  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/03/08
      4.   Jewish Fatwas 20:24  |  Cameron 19/03/08
      5.   Yaakov Sullivan 21:00  |  Edifice 19/03/08
      6.   This is a disgusting and distinctly not a Jewish precept 21:00  |  Steve the Jew 19/03/08
      7.   Isreal`s Rabbis Will Destroy the Jewish People! 21:01  |  Isaiah 19/03/08
      8.   settlers, the new Nazis 21:03  |  tim 19/03/08
      9.   don t rent to enemy 21:03  |  dave 19/03/08
      10.   Get A life Shlomo.. 21:18  |  Yaacov 19/03/08
      11.   lets all hate the arabs 21:19  |  Ralph 19/03/08
      12.   Good news keep coming, Let these Rabbis expose themselves. 21:24  |  John 19/03/08
      13.   #3 One more point... 21:28  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/03/08
      14.   Tomer Appelbaum 21:29  |  me 19/03/08
      15.   Rent and Destroy Home sweet Home 21:34  |  Zev 19/03/08
      16.   Israeli Nationalism is No Different Than German Nationalism 21:35  |  Horrified Historian 19/03/08
      17.   through the mercy of fools justice is lost 21:37  |  Ronn 19/03/08
      18.   Obviously One Doesn`t Employ Or Rent To One`s Enemy 21:38  |  Yishai Kohen 19/03/08
      19.   bigotry with myopia 21:41  |  jewish doctor 19/03/08
      20.   Use Arab precedents on Arabs 21:47  |  Rightster 19/03/08
      21.   Racism similar to Apartheid South Africa 21:55  |  Shimon Z. Klein 19/03/08
      22.   ???? 21:59  |  North American 19/03/08
      23.   The Scion of Leprechauns 22:00  |  Avraham Santiago 19/03/08
      24.   JPost 84% Pals Support Attack aagainst Jews 22:05  |  Gershon 19/03/08
      25.   Boosha 22:15  |  Leon 19/03/08
      26.   Yaakov, you are always wrong 22:18  |  Scharker Yid 19/03/08
      27.   "To save a life" 22:22  |  Scharker Yid 19/03/08
      28.   the left wing seculars are idiots 22:22  |  yoni 19/03/08
      29.   Yesha Rabbi-A Hate Monger 22:35  |  Eli 19/03/08
      30.   not renting to arabs 22:39  |  joseph 19/03/08
      31.   Horified by Horified 22:40  |  Yaakov Sullivan 19/03/08
      32.   "Forbidden by Jewish Law" 22:42  |  MIKE 19/03/08
      33.   Rabbi Dov Lior Is To Be Commended 22:56  |  Norman F Birmberg 19/03/08
      34.   Re: Get A Life Shlomo 22:59  |  Norman F Birmberg 19/03/08
      35.   Disgraceful and Yet Understandable 23:04  |  Brad 19/03/08
      36.   Who needs this guy...? 23:08  |  Esther 19/03/08
      37.   Rabbi Dov 23:14  |  Stephen Michael Cohe 19/03/08
      38.   History repeats itself 23:17  |  Natallie Durson 19/03/08
      39.   Severe actions engender sevre reactions right? 23:26  |  Hypocritical? 19/03/08
      40.   if this racism happened anywhere in the world 23:29  |  jawad 19/03/08
      41.   Pope : Don`t rent houses to Jews 23:32  |  Marco 19/03/08
      42.   Israel must shoot "civilian populations" 23:33  |  EE 19/03/08
      43.   Do YOU want to hire an Arab now? be my guest.... 23:44  |  Jewish State 19/03/08
      44.   More Israeli Racism 23:48  |  JJ 19/03/08
      45.   Reaction to responses 23:53  |  peribsen 19/03/08
      46.   #3 yaakov sullivan 00:08  |  ely samuels 20/03/08
      47.   Sullivans love for the enemy is touching and for him believable 00:08  |  pace306 20/03/08
      48.   what part of bible is this from 00:16  |  billy jack 20/03/08
      49.   ???? Title 22 00:16  |  Brad 20/03/08
      50.   Dov Lior dangerous person for Israel 00:17  |  hipolito 20/03/08
      51.   What Jewish law? 00:19  |  Roberto 20/03/08
      52.   #33 Norman F Birmberg the bigot in the USA 00:20  |  Labhras 20/03/08
      53.   Racism? 00:22  |  Avi Yerushalmi 20/03/08
      54.   #29Agree with israeli Eli 00:29  |  hipolito 20/03/08
      55.   Yea, so? The Palestinians are the same or worse 00:34  |  Joe Sittizen 20/03/08
      56.   Eye for an Eye 00:44  |  Danny G. 20/03/08
      57.   Racist 00:48  |  Baz Mann 20/03/08
      58.   WOULD YOU RENT 01:00  |  TOBIA 20/03/08
      59.   Where aren`t Arabs employed?- 01:02  |  Dennie 20/03/08
      60.   YAAKOV IS A SITMAR 01:03  |  TOBIA 20/03/08
      61.   #21 (Shimon) Nothing to do with Apartheid 01:12  |  Gilad 20/03/08
      62.   NO GOV`T MONEY FOR THESE PEOPLE 01:14  |  B`Galil 20/03/08
      63.   lior is a bigot 01:31  |  jack 20/03/08
      64.   #21 Klein atá gadol ! 01:32  |  hipolito 20/03/08
      65.   He he he 01:36  |  Boris 20/03/08
      66.   THE HAT IN THE FACE 02:31  |  Steven Mc`Taffesh 20/03/08
      67.   Yoni #28 02:43  |  Isaiah 20/03/08
      68.   Here is the Jewish Binladen 03:06  |  Atoo 20/03/08
      69.   rabbi liors ruling 03:08  |  jk 20/03/08
      70.   Attorney Einat Horvitz-it`s not racist incitement nor illegal 03:14  |  Jon 20/03/08
      71.   equal opportunity 03:22  |  bubba 20/03/08
      72.   Reaction