Rule of Law Gang Goes Too Far

By Moshe Feiglin

This week's Torah portion opens with the priestly garments and the precise and unique honor with which we are commanded to relate to the High Priest. This week in Israel, our news "portion of the week" is the arrest warrant against Rabbi Dov Lior, Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Arba, issued by Deputy State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan and his cohorts. The arrest warrant was issued after Rabbi Lior refused to go to the police station for questioning on his approbation of the book, "Laws of the King" written by Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira. In the book, Rabbi Shapira discusses Jewish laws pertaining to war, among them, the laws pertaining to killing enemy civilians in a war situation. Rabbi Shapira's conclusion is that it is permissible to kill enemy civilians in war if they endanger Israel's soldiers. Rabbi Lior maintains that as a rabbi, he must give his opinion on Jewish law when asked, and can give his approbation on a book that he deems worthy from a Jewish law aspect - even if it ruffles the feathers of the State Prosecutor's office. The "Rule of Law" Gang is spearheaded by the Thought Police, the political police unit that will not disband despite government instructions to do so. The Unit for Special Assignments is headed by Deputy State Prosecutor, Shai Nitzan, who never misses an opportunity to accuse the Right of crime, as preposterous as the case may be. Nitzan's predecessor, Talyah Sasson, was also an avowed leftist who joined the radical Left Meretz party upon retirement from her position. The entire gang has convinced me that we must all buy the book, "Laws of the King" and read it cover to cover. In the words of Professor Hillel Weiss: "For years, the Nation of Israel has been abandoned to an anti-Jewish and anti-Israel justice system that has been nurtured since the Six Day War. It is the product of symbiotic political and legal decisions that represent the values of pseudo "enlightenment", a euphemism for the support of assimilation and the abandonment of the Biblical Land of Israel." We have already gotten used to the fact that the legislative branch of our government has been conquered by the judicial branch. Just last week, we looked on in amazement as the High Court in Israel nullified the appointment of the new Chief of Staff chosen by Israel's elected officials. This week, we were treated to the spectacle of the judicial elite attempting to force our spiritual leaders to conform to their opinions. From the reaction of the Religious Zionist rabbis, it looks like they have learned the lesson of the Har Bracha fiasco. This time, there is wall to wall support for Rabbi Lior. Finally, it looks like the Religious Zionist public has merited a united spiritual leadership that safeguards the honor of the Torah and the public that it serves. Besides publicizing "Laws of the King" beyond the author's wildest dreams, Shai Nitzan can chalk that fact up as one more positive outcome of his dubious intentions. Shabbat Shalom