Chabad denounces senior rabbi who condoned killing Jewish politicians who work with Arabs
Gedalia Axelrod ruled that Israeli politicians who form governments backed by Palestinian citizens of Israel fall under the 'law of the pursuer', a doctrine once cited by Yitzhak Rabin's assassin.
By Ricardo Brooks ·
A senior rabbi in the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement has been condemned by his own movement after ruling that it is permissible to kill Jewish Israeli politicians who cooperate with Arabs.
Gedalia Axelrod, a senior cleric within Chabad, issued the halakhic ruling earlier this week, declaring that Jewish politicians who form a government backed by Palestinian citizens of Israel are 'din rodef', a term that roughly translates as 'law of the pursuer'. 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 carries a grim precedent in Israel. Yigal Amir, the assassin of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, invoked it to justify the killing in 1995.
In his ruling, Axelrod wrote that collaboration with Arab parties 'poses a terrible danger to the people of Israel in the Holy Land and around the world'. Such collaboration, he said, could take the form of inviting Arab parties to join a governing coalition, or even relying on their support from outside it.
Chabad's leadership moved swiftly to distance itself from the remarks. Rabbi Shimi Segal, a spokesperson for the movement, said Axelrod's statements did not represent the official Chabad position. 'Chabad's official halachic positions are determined exclusively by the Chabad Rabbinical Court, in accordance with the Rebbe's instructions,' he said.
'Rabbi Axelrod is not a member of the court and does not hold a leadership position in Chabad. His statements and letters reflect his personal views alone,' Segal added. Despite the disavowal, at least one Chabad website has described Axelrod as 'among the most important Chabad rabbis in the Holy Land'.
Ofer Cassif, the only Jewish member of the left-wing Joint List party, urged police to open a criminal investigation into Axelrod, warning that as an 'authoritative and recognisable rabbinic figure' his pronouncement could carry weight.
'We are right now in a very sensitive period of leadership change following the election,' Cassif wrote in a letter addressed to State Prosecutor Amit Isman. 'It is clearly incumbent upon the law enforcement authorities to operate with particular vigilance during this period against anyone who threatens, incites or legitimises killing elected officials for exercising the public mandate given to them.'
