Top rabbis move to forbid renting homes to Arabs, say 'racism originated in the Torah'
Dozens of Israel's municipal chief rabbis signed on to the ruling, which comes just months after the chief rabbi of Safed initiated a call urging Jews to refrain from renting or selling apartments to non-Jews.
By Chaim LevinsonA number of leading rabbis who signed on to a religious ruling to forbid renting homes to gentiles – a move particularly aimed against Arabs – defended their decision on Tuesday with the declaration that the land of Israel belongs to the Jews.
Dozens of Israel's municipal chief rabbis signed on to the ruling, which comes just months after the chief rabbi of Safed initiated a call urging Jews to refrain from renting or selling apartments to non-Jews.
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The Arab neighborhood of Dahiyat al-Salam. |
| Photo by: Olivier Fitoussi |
Signatories include the chief rabbis of Ramat Hasharon, Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, Rishon Letzion, Carmiel, Gadera, Afula, Nahariya, Herzliya, Nahariya and Pardes Hannah, among a number of other cities.
"We don't need to help Arabs set down roots in Israel," Rabbi Shlomo Aviner of the Beit El settlement, said on Tuesday. Aviner explained that he supported the move for two reasons: one, a Jew looking for an apartment should get preference over a gentile; and two, to keep the growing Arab population from settling too deeply.
"Racism originated in the Torah," said Rabbi Yosef Scheinen, who heads the Ashdod Yeshiva. "The land of Israel is designated for the people of Israel. This is what the Holy One Blessed Be He intended and that is what the [sage] Rashi interpreted."
He added that he did not see the move as racist so much as segregationist. "The world is so big and the State of Israel is small, that God intended it for the people of Israel and the whole world covets it. That is the injustice."
Upon news of the religious ruling, Meretz faction whip Ilan Ghilon immediately asked the attorney general to dismiss each of the rabbis who had signed their names.
"We are witnessing an epidemic of racism and xenophobia and we must act firmly," he said.
Deputy Knesset chairman MK Ahmed Tibi decried the letter as a "mass crime [committed] by a group of racist rabbis who should be given intensive course in Jewish history."
The entire group should be tried for "incitement to racism," added Tibi, "Muslim clerics have recently been tried or fired from their jobs for much less but the rabbis are able to pursue their unruly behavior without concern.
Haifa Mayor Yonah Yahav termed the ruling the "real desecration of God's name. It is bringing hatred against those with whom we have chosen to live our lives."
Nazareth Mayor Ramiz Jaraisy also decried the moving, declaring that "whoever thinks it damages one side is mistaken. We are all children of the land. Both nations must search for common ground and not bring about escalation."
In their ruling, the rabbis called on the religious community to voice support Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, who could face trial for incitement against Arabs for initiating the move against renting to gentiles.
Minority Affairs Minister Avishay Braverman has also asked Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman to begin the process of suspending Eliyahu immediately from his post as municipal rabbi.
Politicos from the national religious sector believe that the mass of prominent figures who signed on to the ruling – all of whose salaries are paid by public funds - will send a message to the attorney general to take Eliyahu's position seriously.
The rabbis' letter prompted by Eliyahu, which was first published months ago and reprinted in October, urges Jewish owners of apartments to reconsider renting their properties to Arabs since it would deflate the value of their homes as well as those in the neighborhood.
"Their way of life is different than that of Jews," the letter stated. "Among [the gentiles] are those who are bitter and hateful toward us and who meddle into our lives to the point where they are a danger."
The rabbis also urge neighbors of anyone renting or selling property to Arabs to caution that person. After delivering the warning, the neighbor is then encouraged to issue notices to the general public and inform the community.
"The neighbors and acquaintances [of a Jew who sells or rents to an Arab] must distance themselves from the Jew, refrain from doing business with him, deny him the right to read from the Torah, and similarly [ostracize] him until he goes back on this harmful deed," the letter reads.
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I would like to know how many Jews in SAudi Arabia? Jews lived in the ME for generations. Have the countries that forced them to leave proopety behind paid them. It works both ways. ME countries wrote the laws on how to act towards Jews. Stop critizing Israel.
Someone should tell these racist bigoted Rabbis that, the lands that Israel as it is today, is situated on, is not all Israeli lands. Israel is occupying lands that it stole from the Palestinians and claimed these stolen lands as its own. After Israel ends the occupation and returns all of the lands it stole from the Palestinian people back to the Palestinians, then a claim can be made that Israel belongs to Israelis, not only to Jews because not every Israeli is a Jew.
Israel is a "light unto nations"....fascist ones!
It's all Israel and it's all for the Jews. Reunify Israel. Annex, annex, annex!
Israel's bigotry and fascism emboldened to reveal itself freely. Look at what has come to flourish in the late great state of Israel!
In the Torah the Israelites are to be servants of God. Servants get reward, but must obey the Master strictly. The Messiah may provide them bigger cars and drive the Arabs into the sea. The New Testament raises status of man to child, sitting at the table with the Father and with some access to His wallet. Children have to be educated and thus are to experience good and bad. Otherwise there won't be spiritual evolution resulting in kind of robot. The Messiah was the first such child and born so, while others need "rebirth". Read the gospel of John chapter 1, but not in an english Bible. Pagan greek trinity can be abolished. Jews and moslims teach us that God is One and forgives for nothing in return except repentance (for greed, stealing from the poor, discrimination). Psalm 87 is a good Christmas song and have a Psalms House built in Jerusalem where the shared heritance of jews, christians and moslims can be sung on sabbath, sunday and friday, while perhaps on the remaining days together.
the moral yeast of the world! Where is their voice now as orthodox Judaism is overcome by this swamp of tribalistic cavemen who have turned the God of Israel into an idol of triumphalism and tribal instinct. No one so many young Israelis look to the East for spiritual inspiration and meaning. Cany you imagine a world controlled by this vile pack compared to that under the Dalai Lama?
How about we free ourselves from UNDER all religions? Loving your neighbor does not require a Dalai Lama, it only requires action,which is not a religion.
This disgusting act further shows that we made a huge mistake in giving the rabbis so much influence. Cut funding to religious authorities who undermine the meaning and purpose of Zionism. They are bringing us down with their fundamentalist, pre-medieval beliefs.
Perhaps all other nations should refuse to rent/sell housing to Jews (I would certainly end up homeless). At this rate, Israel will effectively destroy the globalists' bid for a one-world government where all independent nation-states have been planned to be merged into one leviathan super power. The UN is SUPPOSED to be the managing entity of this new global society, but with laws like this coming out of Israel, all other nations will use Israel's example to show that they, too, must maintain their own independant nation-states, with their own laws and customs, and should likewise be able to exclude all whom they choose. Perhaps the United States should start the process by refusing to rent/sell properties to all Jews, and tell us to go to Israel? Or should the Native Americans seize government and privately owned properties, declare them illegitimate, and relocate all non-Native American settlers back to their respective nations? I dare ask: does Israel really believe the globalists will allow it to destroy all that the globalists have worked to achieve? Trust me: the globalists will start WWIII before that happens, and the only thing they will leave behind of the state of Israel is a pile of rocks and rubble -- to mourn over.
to support Israel when one reads stories such as these.......
support jstreet and the new israel fund.
These rabbis are employees of the government, and should be fired for racist speech...nekuda.
Beloved Israel, please come back to your senses and to the 21st century. It seems some of you are acting as we were at the begginning of times.
who cares what the rabbis say when it comes to the law of the land
I am sure that a lot of people have already commented on this. I am wondering what the reaction would be if the title would be "bishops ask catholic house owners not to rent their appartment to jews".... We are really moving into interesting places with our jewish religious leadership.....
When Jews were unable to rent or buy housing, it was called ANTI-SEMITISM, but now such hateful behavior is being sanctioned by so called Rabbis. How horribly sad that someJews , im have stooped so low. Remember, when there is a real act of Anti-Semitism don't cry that no one cares---you will reap what you sow.
How about Jews who are Arabs?
And when the very same happens somewhere in the world the very same people talks of anti-semitism! How unserious! This is a corrupt group of state employees who must be fired immediately.
According to our Talmudic law, and the Torah, these attitudes are not rightuous nor humane. Just because some Palestinians or extremeist are not human, this doesnt meen that we, as jews, need to forfeit our rightousness!!!
I thought all human beings were human, descended from Adam.
I think he meant "humane."
for selling or renting land to the JEws... apartheid is law and violations are a capital offense. This is just one Rabbi's opinion. The hypicorcay of those who overlook "Palestinian" Arab institutionalized racism and point fingers at the Jews
The Palestinian society is not comparable to the Israeli one and the lack of human rights in that area is not a reason to behave in the same way. The State of Israel was founded with great principles, it would be a shame to see these democratic principles be demolished by religious bigots. It is about time that these idiotic people are being halted by the government.
That is to say--citizens of the occupying power--arab or Jew that are ecluded from buying lands for the Occupier. Got the difference.End the occupation and the problem will be solved.
These rabbis are ugly people and are a disgrace to Israel and to Judaism. We all need to dsiassociate ourselves from them and their racist ideology. Most important the government needs to speak out, something it has so far not done.
This is clearly a racist policy by the rabbis. Arabs are not settling in israel, Israel is also their land. If Israel continues with this racist policies, Israel is edging itself out of the ranks of civilized nations.
These so called Rabbis are bigots and rascists. Let just imagine if today in moder day Europe a christian priest issued a decleration not to rent property to Jews. The very same "Rabis" would be screaming antisemitsm at the top of their voices. For people who are so concerned about what goes in to their mouths they might want to pause a minute and think what comes out their mouths.
We have all heard the Fable of the Frog Who Boiled. When thrown into the cooking pot he noticed the water was warm, but not too warm, so he didn't jump out. Then the water became nice and warm, and he was comfortable so he didn't jump out, when the water became too hot he thought it would soon cool and didn't jump. When it boiled, he boiled. It was too late to jump out. Secular Jews seem to not to notice or mind the water growing extremely hot in the Israeli pot.
Fanatic Jews seem to not to notice or secular mind that the water is growing extremely hot in the Israeli pot and religious Jews should be stopped.
Out of the 22 Arab countries only Saudi Arabia doesn't allow non-muslims to have a saudi passport. If you want to compare yourself to saudi then dont consider Israel to be a democratic first world country.
Just to let everyone know, I think that's the most ridiculous thing ever. I'm Jewish & I have no probs with Arabs. My Dad's Israeli with a place in Israel & I know that he could care less who buys his house. Same goes with all his family. Anyone who thinks like these Rabbis are just as stupid. This is not Judaism ppl. Don't let fanatics make ur impressions of anyone.
I believe this kind of policy goes against the principles of the constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Clearly the policy is racist and it is worrying that individuals who are paid with public money are able to express opinions which conflict with the principles that the government is obligated to uphold. It seems contradictory.
About the US Constitution and the US Declaration of Independence ? Or are you talking about something else?
It is still the law in what used to be Lebanon that Palestinians are forbidden from owning any property. Perhaps you should look to your own first
turn of the century Russia and 1930s Germany are sad, sad, sad. Profound ignorance like this must be identified and revealed, not put on a pedestal.
These Rabbis are detached of the world of basic human values. They should lead our people to a higher platvorm but in fact are leading us to the lowest level we have seen in 2000 years. Their power comes from an abuse of the political system. What more prove do we need for a ful seperation of religion and state. Not they are the anachronism but we who let this situation endure. FAR
Absolutely..separate state from shul; remove religious parties completely...reduce yeshiva state funding through the equivalent of a researfch assessment exercise.....remove religious exemption for army service (Yehuda Maccabi did not get it, why should they?)...close yeshivot that order soldiers to disobey their commanders and charge thier roshim with insurrection...and get a propoer system of PR for goodness's sake! We have 20% of the world's Nobel prizes and come up with a political system like ours? Surely we can do better.
but I don't think Arabs should be living in my community or in my country for that matter. Having said that, I think we should be tolerant and promote peace.
love it when you say you are not a racist.... what are you....remember your history, don't live it again
when you have an adversary coming to live amongst you and he wants you dead------u think pragmatically------the rabbis answer--but the only answer
What do you mean by coming? If you are talking about Arabs they have been living in this area for more than 1300 years. The Majority Jews are the ones who came 60 years ago from Europe. The Rabbis are not thinking pragmatically, they want Jews to expand in this area as much as possible because they think that God gave them this land. If it’s up to them they would extend and swallow half of the Middle East by force! No difference than the Islamic conquer in the middle ages.
"A Jewish state in which there is discrimination is inconceivable."
correct term for the good Mr. Peres' condition is: "conceivability-challenged."
These Rabbis should be indicted. The government should freez the part of state budget related to these Rabbis. Forbid them from teaching in state financed institutions
Imagine the outcry if an Arab-American said that Arabs and Muslims should not rent to Jews! These Zionists are destroying Judaism.
a "western ally" no less
non muslims are not allowed within the sacred precincts of mecca, that is a huge difference
We used to have what are called covenants which forbade a real estate owner from selling his property to a Jew. Our courts ruled them illegal. Our local authorities have offices which track down and prosecute anyone who refuses to rent property because of of religion or ethnicity. I guess it shows which country is civilized. By the way, for those who will attack me for posting because I'm against Israel, i would point out that this law is aimed at me.
just another reason why i am embarrased to tell people i live in israel...let it be known there are plenty of people in israel who is agree wtih these 'top rabbis'...
especially towards my Christian friends who support Israel financially every year by buying Israeli goods sold by "Christians for Israel" an organization which main goal is to raise funds for eretz Israel.
a "few dozen rabbis" sounds impressive but many of these are just rabbis of small cities with little influence on the big picture
"Racism originated in the Torah,"... ...gentiles... I used to think Israel was a modern world, but with this kind of people heading the major religion in the country, and Israel's recent policies, I think I couldn't be more wrong.
including R. Piron and R. Sherlow, who have considerably more clout than many of the signatories on the ban.
This is EXACTLY what the Germans did to jews in the 30s and 40s. Shame on these rabbis, they should be excommunicated and put in prison for blatant racism.
If there are any decent Rabbis in Israel, now would be a good time for them to say something.
they also carry more weight than many rabbis on this "ban"
I dont know whats going on in Tzefas maybe the Arab people(students) who moved in their neighborhood did things that made the religious hosts angry like not respecting the shabbat or dating Jewish girls. However it doesnt seem wise to promote this nationally in Israel. We need not incite the Arabs. It is important to get along with the neighbors even if they aren't Jewish. Maybe when the Messiah comes things will be different but I certainly don't know. I dont think the attorney general needs to fire the rabbi in Tzefas. This will create a backlash. Perhaps determine the circumstances and seek other solutions. Perhaps they should build a college dormitory for the arab students outside the religious areas or have a separate campus so that the students don't offend the host. Many universities have separate college campuses. Lets try to exist together with at least some level of cooperation, Jew and arab, religious and not religious. Lets hope for the best
Those rabbis belong to Nuremberg Trials because we know what such sicko minds can do to their neighbours.
The origninal owners of many of the homes in Israel are Palestinian Arabs whose lands and homes were taken away by force OR where never returned to their rightful owners. If these Rabbis believe in God, then they should ask not only to sell but to compensate and return homes to their rightful owners. God is not racist. A religion that is about exclusion is not from God.
Before you condemn this point of view, first condemn the Arabs who forbid Jews from living in their lands and punish with death any sale of land to a Jew. Then bear in mind that the tiny sliver of land (~10 miles wide) that is Israel with only 5.5 million Jews is surrounded by a BILLION Muslims and Arabs who control 99.5% of the Middle East and can destroy the single Jewish State merely by moving in...
See the statement of Rabbi Yuval Sherlo. from YNETNEWS Rabbi Shelo about Non-jews in Israel.. "They are humans and they deserve to be able to make a living with dignity, develop their connection with god and have a roof over their heads like any person in the world." The rabbi believes that earning a living, employment, education and a place to live are all part of the human rights of any foreigner living in Israel "and so you can't decide not to solve everyone'sf housing problems, and you especially can't cut them off from available apartment rentals." PS I don't accept his term "foreigner" but this term may just be a bad translation form the Biblical concept of "non-Jews"
Don't try to justify this despicable racist call. Two wrongs don't make one right. Israel is supposed to be a democracy. Behave like one, then.
Arthur Othehand is symptomatic of the power over minds that this vile gang of rabbis has on minds of millions of Jews. Otherhand offers half baked reasoning to justified their nazified ideology claiming it comes to them from God. The law he refers to refers to the occupied territories where Jews are dispossessing indigenous residents from their lands and their homes. The size of Israel has nothing to do with it. Immoraltiy and injustice is not dependent on dimensions.
does this not remind us all of what happened in europe just a few years ago??? what was done to us ...we now attempt to do unto others....under the mask of religion and a direct instructions from the "guy in the sky"
in the Arab world we have a famous saying that is: if you are not ashamed of yourself, then you can do or say whatever you want. These rabbis are just like that! They don't even respect their own religion by justifying racism by religion. The usual mish mash and fuzzy thinking about the promised land. You know I would ask these rabbis to provide us with geographical measures to see which land God has promised to them. And then we negotiation not on the 1967 borders but on the goddish borders, this may attract these rabbis!
This is another proof that religious people are the ones who push for making wars ,where is the democratic Israel????????????????????????
Presumably then it will no longer be permissible for tourism in Israel by any person other than a Jew.No hotel in Eilat ,Tel Aviv or any place in Israel can any longer accept any Christian,Muslim,Hindu tourists as guests.
what would happen if the situation was reversed.
I believe that selling land to Jews in Palestinian Autonomy (and some Arab countries) is punishable by death.
is should say "Top Racists", not Rabis.
All red lines are crossed.
are close allies, can also differ "fundamentally" (no pun intended) on specific basic issues. To wit: In the US, the rabbis action would be loudly condemned from ALL quarters--including the government's--while in Israel, on the other hand, it is merely a subject for public DEBATE. (And what--if anything--that portends--I'll leave for those wiser than I am--which is pretty much everyone.)
Unlike Israel, US is not surrounded by enemy states, where the legislation demands death penalty for selling land to Jews.
Yet somehow that is not considered racist.
They want homes on foreign soil, outside Israel, on stolen land. Why should they have the right to steal other peoples land?
It's not because they are Jews that their presence in the Occupied Territories is illegal, it's because they're Israelis. If the Rabbis had said "don't rent to illegal foreigners", that would have been different.
Israelis is becoming like Saudi Arabia: Israel is too religious and its going to be like Saudi Arabia state to the establishment of the last of the illegal settlements and outposts in the West Bank - Israel is operating in the shadow of the commandments of religion.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Self destructive imbecilic self appointed "spirital" leaders. We let them oppress our sisters and daughters in their religious courts. We let them humiliate the Jewish religion with their asinine pronouncements. We even pay them a salary. I guess we are the guilty ones. It is time to say to these guys and all their compatriots that their "profession" is no longer a state sponsored affair. Whoever wants their "services" should pay them for them. leave the rest of us out of it. enuf already.
sentiments--but from a practical standpoint, I believe that making the rabbis' "profession no longer a state-sponsored affair"--would require a MAJOR overhaul of Israeli laws--as well as of prevailing public sentiment--and is arguably "not in the cards."
They should have lived in Antartica where no Arab lives and not in Israel where the Arabs are the indigenous people.
What a shame, this needs to be on the BBC coverpage for the whole world to see. Fanatical jewish Rabbis exposed..... Stop fascism, Stop Racism, Stop Apartheid !!!!!!
Who died and made them GOD. Such arrogance, such ignorance , they are no better than the mad mullahs of Iran
Where is the outrage? The strength of any democracy lies in how it treats the minority groups.
This ruling and these "rabbis" is nothing short of disgusting and racist. It's not up to these religious zealots to tell Arabs where they can and cannot live in their own country. These men and their hateful words are an embarrassment to Israel and all good people should denounce them immediately.
How on earth can JEWS behave like this, after their ordeal in Nazi Germany...Holocaust survivers please protest before it's to late !
All this story stinks and reminds about the darkest pages in the history. What a shame. These rabbies must certainly be dismissed and prosecuted. I don't want to pay their salaries from my taxes.
That's exactly what I though as I first read this racist abomination. The same mindset that my ancestors had towards those middle-europeans of a different religion. Only one word for such people: Nazis!
Then you want to convince the world that Israel is a democracy where minorities enjoy equal rights. Don't make us laugh.
That's amazing.... I heard that one time but it was a little bit different.... I think it was something like "The Germanic land belongs to the Germanic people" We all know what happend a few years later...
may be you forgot that this land does not belong to u...
more than it belongs to the Arabs....
...enough of racism and bigotry from extremists on both sides
...enough of racism and bigotry from extremists on both sides