In a handwritten religious decree, Rabbi Gedalya Axelrod argued that partnering with Arab parties endangers the people of Israel both domestically and abroad. By applying the *din rodef* classification, the ruling asserts that targeted officials pose an active threat to life that may be stopped by any means necessary. The decree revives a dangerous legal precedent, as this exact religious concept was previously cited to rationalize the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Key points
Jewish religious law permits the use of any necessary means to neutralize an individual d…: Jewish religious law permits the use of any necessary means to neutralize an individual designated as a rodef.
The Chabad rabbi asserted that forming a government backed by Arab factions poses a grave…: The Chabad rabbi asserted that forming a government backed by Arab factions poses a grave danger to Jewish people globally.
The ruling marks a severe escalation in political rhetoric by officially sanctioning leth…: The ruling marks a severe escalation in political rhetoric by officially sanctioning lethal force against domestic politicians.
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A prominent rabbi in Israel has invoked a Jewish religious doctrine permitting the use of lethal force against politicians who cooperate with Arab parties, Haaretz reported.
Rabbi Gedalya Axelrod, a former head of the Haifa Rabbinical Court, said in a handwritten ruling that Jewish party leaders who support a government formed with the backing of Arab parties are subject to din rodef, or the “law of the pursuer”.
In a handwritten letter, Axelrod wrote that collaboration with Arab parties "poses a terrible danger to the people of Israel in the Holy Land and around the world."
Under Jewish religious law, a rodef is someone who poses a threat to another person's life and may be stopped by any means necessary. The doctrine was invoked by Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin, Yigal Amir, to justify the prime minister’s killing in 1995.
Chabad rabbi endorses killing Jewish politicians cooperating with Arab parties https://t.co/QHZFVaBHmI
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