Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef Expected To Be Arrested For Justifying The Killing Of Non-Jews

Wednesday June 29, 2011 20:29 by Katie Child - 1 of International Middle East Media Center Editorial Group

After ignoring police summons, Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef faces arrest for a written endorsement of the Torat Hamelech, which justifies the killing of non-Jews, including babies, that pose a threat to the nation of Israel.

On Monday, the police detained the rabbi briefly for questioning. Right-wing activists were photographed carrying the rabbi after his release from the brief detention with the Israeli police.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Ya’akov said, “there is no reason for investigators to meddle in halachic issues, and besides – it’s not rabbis who take people out to war, rather the government and the army.”

The Torat Hamelech, published November of 2009, is a 230-page commentary written by Rabbis Yitzhak Shapira and Yosef Elitzur, who live an illegal West Bank settlement of Yitzhar.

The commentary states the commandment of “Thou shall not kill” only applies to a Jew killing another Jew. Its preface states that it is forbidden to kill a non-Jew but later outlines the context in which it is permissible to kill a non-Jew, according to Haaretz Daily Newspaper.

Any non-Jew considered an enemy of the state of Israel is justified under Jewish law to be killed according to the Torat Hamelech. It justifies the killing of babies that represent one of Israel’s enemies since “it is clear that they will grow to harm us,” a quotation from the Torat Hamelech.

The book states that non-Jews are “uncompassionate by nature” and attacking them will “curb their evil inclination.”

Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef is head of the Hazon Ya'akov yeshiva and served as a member of Knesset for the Shas political party from 1984-1988 and is still being investigated for his endorsement of the Torat Hamelech.

israel | jerusalem | news report