Police release rabbi arrested for inciting to kill non-Jews
Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, head of the Od Yosef Hai Yeshiva, released from police custody hours after being arrested for encouraging the killing of non-Jews.
By Chaim Levinson Tags: Israel news West BankPolice released the head rabbi of a prominent yeshiva yesterday hours after arresting him for encouraging to kill non-Jews.
Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, head of the Od Yosef Hai Yeshiva and author of "The King's Torah," was arrested early yesterday morning at his home in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar. His book describes how it is possible to kill non-Jews according to halakha (Jewish religious law ).
Detectives first carried out a search at the yeshiva, where they confiscated 30 copies of the book. The investigation and arrest were carried out on the orders of Deputy State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan.
The preface of the book, which was published in November, states that it is forbidden to kill non-Jews - but the book then apparently describes the context in which it is permitted to do so.
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Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira |
| Photo by: Olivier Fitoussi |
According to Shapira, it is permissible to kill a non-Jew who threatens Israel even if the person is classified as a Righteous Gentile. His book says that any gentile who supports war against Israel can also be killed.
Killing the children of a leader in order to pressure him, the rabbi continues, is also permissible. In general, according to the book, it is okay to kill children if they "stand in the way - children are often doing this." "They stand in the way of rescue in their presence and they are doing this without wanting to," he writes. "Nonetheless, killing them is allowed because their presence supports murder. There is justification in harming infants if it is clear that they will grow up to harm us. Under such circumstances the blow can be directed at them and not only by targeting adults."
The daily Maariv's report on the book was immediately followed by calls for Shapira's arrest and a petition was filed with the High Court of Justice for a ban on the book's distribution. The petition was rejected as premature.
The rabbi's arrest has stirred angry responses on both the left and right. "The police did well to initiate an investigation," attorney Lila Margalit of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel said. "Incitement for racist violence seriously undermines human rights and it should not be ignored. However, it is not entirely clear whether the arrest was justified in this case."
She added that the tendency in Israel is to "overuse" arrests, and in cases where there is no justification for it.
A spokesman for Yitzhar said: "Once more we are seeing rabbis being gagged and serious damage inflicted to their honor, along with the razing of homes in the settlements."
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He's in the same camp as Rabbi Meir Kahane, Mullah Omar, Shiekh Yassin, Sheikh Nasrallah, Rev. Jerry Fallwell and Rev. John Hagee. I recommend Chris Hedges's book "I don't believe in Athiests" where he argues that all extremists--including athiests--have more in common with one another than the communities they purport to represent.
the rabbi just express some opinion WITHOUT incitement to kill anybody. Hadith clearly incite and direct to kill Jews. Your indignation is mis-directed
It's okay to kill children? It's okay to kill even righteous Gentiles if they are seen as a threat to Israel? No wonder the IDF don't want to be investigated if this is what their rabbis were preaching before Cast Lead.
baffoon reminds one of the other crazy europeans who thought they were above everyone else.
Ironically, the rabbi's religious stance towards non-Jews is little different from the official security policy of the State of Israel
Not ONE of you has read the book or has any idea what it says, apart from what is printed here. And I'm willing to be next month's rent that Chaim Levinson (the writer of this story) hasn't read it either. Of course the FACTS might not make such a good story so let's continue hysterical remarks about murdering children and racist rabbis and whatever we do, DON'T check the FACTS!
Quotes taken from the book are facts.
WHy not practice what you preach. Before you refute us for not looking at FACTS, go read the book and then come tell us if we are wrong. And like the poster said above...quotes from the book ARE facts.
The right to kill enemy civilians is accepted in war time (consider the slaughter at Dresden at the end of WW2 and the use of atomic weapons on Japan when it was already suing for peace). R. Shapira may be examining this issue to delineate what is permitted and what is forbidden to Israel according to Jewish law. R. Shapira's conclusions may be wrong, or not, but the Supreme Ct rejected an earlier attempt to suppress the book, the police have now released him and even Haaretz admits the book's preface forbids killing non-Jews, all of which suggest the book is not incitement but an examination of the moral-legal issues involved when faced with difficult questions in war time. By the way, Haaretz didn't bother calling the author for his side of the story, whcih says much.
How insane one person must be to write this sentence? Remember this next time rockets go down in Israel. Go read the Geneva Conventions!
How insane one person must be to write this sentence? Remember this next time rockets go down in Israel. Go read the Geneva Conventions!
- is never allowed. You are wrong. Only if in a situation of war a major military target is bombed and a civilian bystander is targeted by accident it is not considered to be a crime. But this is no excuse to bombard an UN school, for example, because there might be a some enemies inside, knowing that many civilians are inside there. This is out of proportion and considered to be a crime as well. It is not allowed. Civilians are protected by the law of war. There is no excuse to bombard civilians and Hiroshima was a big crime and the operation 'cast lead' was a big crime too. Since world war too law has developped and what has been done in former times is no standard for today. But there is no doubt, that the US has done war crimes in Afghanistan and Irak as well.
According to you all an enemy has to do is put some civilians near every target and then it's a crime to hit that target because the other side knows that civilians are there. This is unreal and you don't believe it, because you also write further in your post about 'out of proportion'. So I think you understand that civilians may be targetted. When exactly is presumably what the book is about. As for proportion, the amount of force that may be used should be proportional to the needs of the military, not to number of dead on your side. One can kill enemy up to the point needed to achieve legitimate military goals, even if the number of deal enemy is more than the number of your own dead.
If the Shapiras of the word continue to peddle their hate filled vitriol and in doing so continue to receive succour from the rabbinate/many rabbis/the religious Zionist establishment, the nascent fascist state of Judea may well go from spectre to UDI (Unilateral Declaration of Independence) reality. If only: the rabbis were rather denouncing Shapira's extremist views instead of issuing shrill denuciations against the representatives of (sane) law and order.
When the Rabbis were inciting solders to kill every one in Gaza and were distributing leaflets telling them urging them to kill. This is the true face of most Israelis who elected the present government so there is no way this can be isolated incident or just an individual.
The rabbi didn't incite to kill everyone, he wrote that it wasn't a game , that it was a war . He wrote that giving a chance to the ennemy-being fair-play, is putting Israeli Life in danger. That's NOT inciting to kill everyone.
it says kill infants if you believe that they will grow up tobecome enemies of the state.??? my question to you is: how do you know if an infant or preschool child will grow up to become an enemy ... also the definition of enemy is so loose that it will pretty much apply to anyone and everyone
Soldiers from Breaking the Silence testified to rabbis inciting murder. They were disgusted by this and the attitudes of the 'religious' soldiers.
What do you do when you are immersed from childhood in pre-medieval law which distinguishes between killing a Jew and killing a Gentile? While killing anybody is forbidden by Halakha, the murderer is punished by execution if he killed a Jew, but is only "punished by God" if he killed a Noahide (e.g., a Muslim). Today you have rabbinic opinions that allow killing of Arabs, even innocents, that endanger Jewish control of the Land. They simply compare the importance of the various commandments and come to such conclusions. Rabin's assassination was also sanctioned by some according to Jewish law of "mosser". The Halakha was not updated much, certainly did not have a chance to evolve naturally under conditions of Jewish control over Gentiles. Since changes in it are extremely slow, it is best to override it, as was done in laws concerning financial issues, according to the ruling of "Dina d'malchuta dina", "the law of the land is valid." But I wonder how long it will take to also change the moral/ethical influence that goes with the outdated Halakha.
"any gentile who supports war against Israel can also be killed." Are you aware that this is EXACTLY the doctrine Osama Bin Laden's Egyptian mentors adopted many years ago?? This argument was used as the justification that "killing Egyptian citizens was acceptable because Egypt was collaboration with the US"!!!! How sick and mentally deranged is that?? "A spokesman for Yitzhar said: "Once more we are seeing rabbis being gagged and serious damage inflicted to their honor"... ARE YOU GUYS NUTS?????? Why isn't this guy thrown into a loony house?? What, because he is Jewish, because he's a Rabbi, it's ok?? Why isn't anyone in Israel furious about this?? Or, are we seeing the true colour of Israel??
the rabbi just express some opinion WITHOUT incitement to kill anybody. Hadith clearly incite and direct to kill Jews. Your indignation is mis-directed
shows the true face of Truth :) the true face of racism and hatred .. no wonder
I vowed never to interfere in religious subjects , but the comments made by this rabbi are disgusting ! THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY JUSTIFICATION FOR KILLING CHILDREN! Shame on you! Shalom/Salam
This book is NOT about killing goyim and it's NOT about this rabbis personal views. It's about the Holy Word of HaShem from The Holy Torah and Talmud! This is one more sign that secular Israel declared war not vs Arab terror, but vs HaShem, Judaism and real Jews and their Rabbis. This is signs of Sodom & Gomorrah and Judenrat will have the same end. Amen! Never again!
does it say "There is justification in harming infants if it is clear that they will grow up to harm us."? Since most Settlers think all Pals are terrorists, don't these words encourage Settlers to kill alll Pals, including infants, and gives them religous justification for their act?
this kind of guy is exactly the type of guy who wrote the protocols of Zion and follow it to this day.
any religion that has rules that says such things as "There is justification in harming infants if it is clear that they will grow up to harm us" is a sick and twisted one. this is disgusting beyond anything I have ever seen, the fact that you allow yourself to predict the future of an infant so you can justify killing is pure madness.
but a monster who condones the killing of children. his release signals support for his murderous notions.
I bet if an Israeli non-Jew wrote a book inciting to kill Jews, he'd still be in jail.
... he'd be stoned or lynched to death!
So if this rabbi is "right", and that this actually is allowed according to jewish law, could the holocaust be seen as self-defense ? Discuss.
i see jews as a threat to me and my beloved germany and then my beloved Europe... by the same rule... wouldn't hitler be more jewish then most in israel... he is following jewish law...
On the same day Haaretz ran articles side by side on the detention and interrogation of Yonaton Shapiro and Rabbi Shapira for their political opinions. Such behavior by what are supposed to be the law enforcement system is not fit for any democracy. Freedom of expression has to include opinions that are not popular as well.
...does not include incitement to murder, or to shout "fire" in a movie theater. This has nothing to do with "not popular"
If he had explicitly called for violence directed an particular group or individual you would probably have a point, but then they would have kept him in custody. Rather it seems that he was pulled in for questioning for the same reason as the leftist Shapiro. Someone decided to punish him because they didn't like the tone of his speech. That is what is unacceptable.
Perhaps they have some integrity.
Even Maimonides said a Jewish physician should not treat Gentiles if he could get away with it. And other scholars have said what this rabbi said, for example that if a Jew comes upon a Gentile at a river, he should not throw him in to drown him, but if he is already in, he should not pull him out to save him. BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT, AND CERTAINLY DON'T ENCOURAGE. Example: in the Christian Bible, in the Greek, in its true translation, Paul talks about "the Jews who killed Christ" but we expect Christians not to publicize this and not to use it for incitement. So the rabbi should treat what is written in Torah or by revered Jewish scholars of the past.
and dangerous!
Maybe Israeli Jews need a Pope to update sections of their religion to the modern era. This portion of Judaism is clearly racist and should no longer be applicable for today's Jews. Where do these waco's come from.
Maimonides was court physician to the court of Saladin and not only treated these numerous Muslims but he even wrote several treatises for them in Arabic. You probably mean a Jewish physician should not desecrate the Sabbath if there is another doctor who can treat the patient. Not rescuing a Gentile from a river is non-sense as it states clearly in the Torah there should be one Law in the Land, all mankind are in G-d's Image, 'Love thy neighbour as thyself, Do not do until others as you would not have them do unto you etc etc.
Have you decided from one poster you can judge an entire community? Have you ever met a real live Jew who thinks like this one poster's views? Which Jewish doctor doesn't treat non-Jewish patients? Even during Cast Lead injured Gazans were taken to Israeli hospitals if they required advanced technology less available in Gaza. In many American Jewish hospitals the majority of patients are Gentiles.
was a Jew...!!!
was a Jew...!!!
as his neighbours. This is the problem. He sees them either as rodfim or potential rodfim. Either category is permissible to kill before they kill you. He sees the world as nothing but an amalgam of anti-semites who have different souls from Jews. Humanism for him, as it was for the dead kahane, was a mortal enemy of their interpretatin of Judaism. They view Buber and Magnes as enemies of the Jewish people. They are obssessed with enemies, revenge and vengeance.
The Haredim are marked today by their increasing levels of stringencies, stringency upon stringency. No one is arguing that there are very powerful currents in Jewish tradition and Jewish law that are very oppossed to what this particular "rabbi" is spewing. And of course Jewish doctors and hospitals have, do and will work selflessly for all their patients. But among this group of which shapira is one, and this is a growing not dwindling number, they would indeed ask the question whether it was permissible for a Jew to break the Shabbat to save the life of a non-Jew, not a Jew, but a non-Jew. Thank God, this is not an opinion held by the majority of even religious Jews.
Toras HaMelech is 230 pages, and the media have taken two or three sentences out of it. I have not read the book, but from the title alone I suspect it refers to laws that apply to the Messianic King. The President of Israel is called a 'Nasi' or 'Prince', while the Messiah is called 'HaMelech HaMoshiach' or 'Messianic King.' The title sounds like a hypothetical treatise on the powers given to the anointed King. Have any reporters actually read the book?
They let him go. Spread more good works rabbi. The state of Israel sanctions it.
He is such a special person. Anyone who knows him will testify to that. The State should stop harassing him.
In a democratic society there is freedom of expression and the problem is that non democratic movements use this rights in there struggle for a non democratic society. Now the Rabbi is free to continue with his twisted messages, the price of democracy.
So whenever Israel attacks someone, as she always do, who will then try to defend themselves - it is permissible to kill them? No wonder if people feel threatened by the mere existence of the Jewish state and its inconsiderate, total lack of morality.
of morality. You must have been talking about,especially,Christian Morality,in their night-long spree of murder,rape,destruction of little babies ,pregnant women & men slaughtered for almost 2,000 years non-stop....Nobody ever put any brakes on them . The Pope & other Catholic/Protestant clergy abetted the murder.
Let me guess: because of the "night-long spree of murder, rape,destruction of little babies pregnant women blablabla ... nobody ever put any breakes blablabla..." you The Teacher/Instruct would not mind killing my own children? What a pathetic excuse for murder you found. Happy killing!, enjoy!
There is no racism here. It is survival of your family against racist enemies.
This is precisely the kind of unchecked depravity that is allowed to thrive in the settler community. Don't bother finding this story in the mainstream Western media.
Do you mean the survival of the Palestinians against the racist subjugation of their Jewish neighbours...?
what a pathetic, miserable, piece of human garbage.
Couldn't have said it better myself. The sad part (judging by some of the comments here) is that a few misguided souls actually support this vile piece of ....., (for lack of a better word).
imagine a country with 200 nukes and with people like shapira or educated by shapira in the higher functions of the country.
This incident reveals again that the hardi position has captured Jewish understanding of halacha. Religious Zionist movement is irrelevant to Israelis society, and many of its members have become haredi leumi, Things can only get worse.
People like him stay in Israeli's Parliament not in jail.Now his followers in yeshiva will see a new sign of how God protect Eretz Israel
Israel is being drawn deeper and deeper into becoming a theocracy. Did anyone really expect anyh rabbi to come to trial?
Even al-Qaeda cannot come up with a justification like "killing them is allowed because their presence supports murder. There is justification in harming infants if it is clear that they will grow up to harm us. Under such circumstances the blow can be directed at them and not only by targeting adults
If Israeli settlers are more violent than al Qaeda, what have settlers done comparable to 9 / 11? This is an academic treatise probably discussing the Amalekites, who are a unique case. When did settlers last set out to kill infants?
A 16 year old Palestinian was shot in the back by a settler a few months ago; not an infant, but still a child. The IDF in Gaza, however, had no trouble killing infants..
These racist fanatics hyped up on their perversion of religion have an army protesting them. But they are close to the point of seeing the army not as their defenders but as part of the enemy. Given the right ontext, the ilk of shapira would have no problem in killing infants. That is what he says in his book. The children are impeders of pursuing the pursuers and therefore is is just to kill them. They in his perverse distoritions will grow up to be killers of Jews and so they are worthy of death. He completely obliterates what his gangs of divine righters have done to those among whom they strut to warrant hatred of them. His hatred has sown hatred from others and so it goes, in a non ending cycle. There is no belief here that any one but a Jew is their neighbour and even some Jews are deemed "mosserim" and hence worthy of death as well.
The public prosecutor has to weigh the evidence and judge the likelihood of getting a conviction. Many people have blamed violent videos and violent computer games for teen violence but no manufacturer has been put on trial. If this book is an academic treatise it is not incitement. Who specifically has been incited? Where are the victims of the incitement? It takes time to assess each case.
"There is justification in harming infants if it is clear that they will grow up to harm us. Under such circumstances the blow can be directed at them and not only by targeting adults." Harming infants. Children just out of their mothers arms. This explains the Israeli Army slaughter of over 300 children in Cast Lead. They are simply following this mans edicts. How moral is that?
It is pure evil!
... take a close look at this. On the other hand, if every Imam that called for killing Jews was arrested, Islam would have died out a thousand years ago.
must be for the most despicable regime this world has never yet seen, so you can continue to justify israeli human rights abuses by pointing to that regime. by your logic attempted murder should receive no penalty because actual rape is worse. get your nose out of that bible, take a breath of fresh air and try thinking for yourself
I wonder what would happen to an Arab Israeli if he printed a book like this in Israel saying it was okay to kill jews, even their infants....
Here in the UK every year Muslims 'miliitants' handed out leaflets to Muslim university students telling them it was a religious duty for every Muslim to kill one Jew. Every year -- until 9/11 -- Jewish groups complained to the police and every year they were told it was not incitement.
Religieus men who advocate to kill children and authorities who think an arrest for that is overuse. That indicates that israel is an society where such criminal calls are too common to make arrests for that. Besides is an call of an imam to kill jewish childeren also free of charge?. I am glad we dont accept that here in our society..
You have made some big assumptions. No one says he wants Jews to go out and kill Gentile children. He is discussing hypothetical cases in an academic treatise. I haven't read the book, but I suspect he is talking about human shields.
If he were an Arab, he would be facing assasination squads and his family home would be blown up to pieces with elderly relatives inside...
In 1948, 1967 and 1973 various Arab states and Arab armies set out to exterminate the entire Jewish population of Israel. The Hamas Charter sets out its goal to murder all Israeli Jews and then all Jews world wide. How many arrests have been made? How many trials? How many UN investigations?
you are absolutely wrong and as usual and like all Israel,s appologists depecting Israel and the Israeli jews as victims. Hamas Charter doesnot call for killing Jews at all, it calls for fighting Israel untill the Palestinian refugees can go back to their homes not for murdering jewish children as this evil does.
A spokesman for Yitzhar said: "Once more we are seeing rabbis being gagged and serious damage inflicted to their honor..." What kind of honor is due Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira? The honor of preaching the death of babies if they have the misfortune to be born to people we fear. How far can paranoia go when tethered to a man without morals, without ethics, and without honor?