Chief Rabbi of Israel Slams Ombudsman Kola: 'This Is a Duty, Not an Overstep'

Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Meir Bar, published a harsh letter against the decision of the Commissioner for Public Complaints on Judges, Asher Kola, who found a complaint against Rishon LeZion Rabbi David Yosef justified. Bar backs his colleague and asserts that defending Shabbat is a public duty of the chief rabbi, not an overstep of his authority. He cites historical precedents of chief rabbis throughout the generations.

Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Meir Bar, published a harsh letter against the decision of the Commissioner for Public Complaints on Judges, retired judge Asher Kola, who found the complaint against Rishon LeZion and Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi David Yosef justified. In the letter, first published on Channel 14, Bar expresses 'deep reservations' about the commissioner's decision and backs his colleague. Bar emphasizes that Rabbi Yosef's statement is not a deviation from his role but an expression of fulfilling his public duty. He asserts that defending the public status of Shabbat is 'a fundamental duty at the heart of his public responsibility' of the chief rabbi, not a secondary right. Bar notes that Shabbat in the public sphere is one of the central expressions of the Jewish identity of the State of Israel, and therefore the Chief Rabbinate is obligated to voice its opinion on any harm to its status. He adds that in the current case, the act was done by judges in their governmental capacity, not a private desecration of Shabbat. To support his position, Bar reviews a series of historical precedents of chief rabbis throughout the generations, from Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook to Rabbi Unterman, who saw protest against Shabbat desecration as an integral part of the rabbinate's mission. The background to the letter is Commissioner Kola's decision, which found that Rabbi Yosef's statements against Supreme Court judges in the Shabbat hearing case exceed legitimate criticism and may harm public trust. The commissioner did not impose a sanction on Rabbi Yosef.