This story is disheartening. Due to the political pressures on Rabbi Ovadia Yosef he has bent down and condemned the publishing of "Torat HaMelech" the book which has caused a stir in Israel and caused great Rabbis to be disrespected and arrested.
I have grown to dislike Rabbi Ovadia Yosef for his positions but now it is clear he is in too deep in politics and has abrogated his 'sage' position. I normally have the utmost respect for sages but to hear that Rabbi Yosef has openly condemned other Rabbis who are merely expressing Halachic opinions, something which is not a crime, and something which should not be ashamed of.
Their excuse "What will the Goyim think?" sounds so much like what Rabbi Kahane said about the Erev Rav Rabbis and establishment. Something is rotten in Israel and it stinks into the Knesset and the Yeshivas.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/145306Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Opposes 'Torat Hamelech' Book
Sivan 28, 5771, 30 June 11 08:22
by Elad Benari
(Israelnationalnews.com) Shas’ spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, expressed on Wednesday his opposition to the controversial Torat Hamelech book, Israel’s Channel 2 News reported.
“We should give considerable attention to the nations of the world and not assist in a writing that could be interpreted as racist,” the report quoted Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as saying. “The Torah respects everyone since everyone was created in G-d’s image.”
Rabbi Yosef was also quoted as saying that “the petition against renting apartments to Arabs was also unnecessary.”
Torat Hamelech has been at the center of a controversy, due to its discussion of the theoretical attitude of Jewish Law toward killing a non-Jew in wartime.
Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba was arrested and questioned earlier this week over the "haskama", rabbinical approbation, he gave to the book. The arrest came after police had issued an arrest warrant for him when he did not report for questioning on the matter.
A "haskama" is found at the beginning of many Judaic works and signifies that the rabbi who read it testifies to the Halakhic coherence and accuracy of the writing. Authors attempt to get "haskamot" from famous rabbis for that reason.
He later explained to his students that he did not cooperate with police since he had not broken any laws nor did he incite to violence or racial hatred. The book is one of theoretical Halakhic deductions, and the real issue is one of free speech for rabbis, equivalent to that for academics.
“I expressed an opinion on a specific issue,” he said. “People on the street told me that I’m suspected of inciting racial hatred and violence. I say that stating something like this about any rabbi in Israel is baseless libel. The rabbis have never incited, not to violence and not to racial hatred.”
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s own son, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, also gave a "haskama" for Torat Hamelech. An arrest warrant was also issued for him, and he has also stated he will not cooperate with the police.
It was reported on Wednesday that police have now set their sights on Rabbi Yaakov Yosef and are likely to arrest him in the next day or two.
Meanwhile, Channel 2 also reported that one of the greatest rabbinic authorities, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, also objects to Torat Hamelech.
“There are people who do not understand that the Jewish people do not live only in Israel,” Rabbi Elyashiv was quoted as having said. “Such writings can bring danger to the lives of Jews abroad. We are playing with fire here and are endangering other Jews.”
Topic: Our "Sages" are saying "What will the Goyim think?" (Read 873 times)