Chief Rabbi wishes God 'destroys' Israel's attorney general over memorial delay

Israel’s Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef launched a sharp public critique of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Saturday, accusing her of deliberately delaying a memorial event for his late father in order to influence the upcoming national elections. Rabbi Yosef, who also serves as the spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, delivered the remarks during his weekly sermon, framing the postponement as a politically motivated act against the party’s founder and former spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

The dispute centers on Baharav-Miara’s decision to postpone the annual memorial ceremony for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, originally scheduled before Israel’s October 27 municipal elections. The Attorney General cited legal concerns over the public use of state funds for religious events as the reason for the delay. However, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef publicly rejected that explanation, asserting that the postponement was part of a broader pattern of discrimination against Shas and its religious institutions.

“May God destroy those who are causing this delay,” Rabbi Yosef stated in his sermon, a phrase widely interpreted as a harsh condemnation of Baharav-Miara’s actions. He went on to accuse unnamed officials of attempting to erase the legacy of his father, whose teachings remain central to the Shas movement’s political and religious identity. The ceremony honors Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who passed away in 2013 and is revered as one of Israel’s most influential Sephardi rabbis.

The Shas party, a key player in Israel’s coalition politics, has long advocated for increased state funding for religious education and institutions. The postponement of the memorial event comes amid heightened tensions between the government and religious authorities over budget allocations and judicial reforms. Analysts suggest the timing of the decision may have intensified perceptions of bias, particularly among Shas supporters who view the move as an attempt to weaken the party ahead of local elections.

Baharav-Miara has not publicly responded to Rabbi Yosef’s criticism, and her office has not provided additional details regarding the legal concerns cited. The Attorney General’s office typically avoids commenting on ongoing disputes involving religious or political figures.

The controversy reflects deeper divisions in Israel over the separation of religion and state, particularly concerning the funding and recognition of religious ceremonies. While the postponement is framed as a procedural matter, it has become a rallying point for Shas and its allies, who argue that religious freedoms are under threat from secular authorities.

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