Haaretz reporter's answer to which building she would burn in Israel

Haaretz journalist Yael Freidson responded to a hypothetical question on X by saying she would burn down the offices of the Chief Rabbinate. The Director General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs demanded a police investigation for incitement. Freidson deleted the post and called it "cynical."

Haaretz legal affairs reporter Yael Freidson sparked controversy after responding to a hypothetical question on X about which public building she would burn in Israel, answering "the offices of the Chief Rabbinate." Yehuda Avidan, Director General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and acting Director General of the Chief Rabbinate, demanded a police investigation for incitement to violence and requested increased security at the Rabbinate's offices. Freidson deleted her response and clarified it was "a cynical comment in a humorous thread that got out of proportion." In response to the investigation demand, Freidson criticized Avidan, arguing he should show the same assertiveness toward a halachic ruling by Rabbi Dov Lior, which she said permitted stealing olives belonging to Palestinians. The incident occurred against the backdrop of riots in France, where 1,800 arrests were reported.