The Movement for Quality Government in Israel on Sunday called for a criminal investigation into former Rishon LeTzion Rav Yitzchok Yosef following sharp remarks he made about Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara during his weekly shiur, including his declaration that “she will get her blow.”

The organization submitted its request to the attorney general, state attorney, police commissioner, and head of the Israel Police Investigations and Intelligence Division, asking authorities to open either a criminal investigation or, at minimum, a preliminary inquiry into whether Rav Yosef’s remarks crossed the legal threshold for incitement to violence.

As previously reported, Rav Yosef strongly criticized Baharav-Miara over her controversial decision to order the cancellation of the main hilula event commemorating his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l.

“The attorney general, who hates religion, decided to cancel the hilulos for Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l,” Rav Yosef said. He then sharply condemned her decision, saying, “This wicked woman is messing with Maran? Hakadosh Boruch Hu will destroy her; she will get her blow.”

Rav Yosef continued by recalling the enormous turnout at his father’s levayah and contrasting the restrictions on the planned gathering with events held in memory of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

“Listen, at Maran’s levayah, my father’s, there were almost a million people there, all of the Jewish people. There were secular and religious Jews, knitted kippahs, white kippahs, Chassidim, Litvaks. Whoever was at the levayah and saw the broad public that was there — everyone was there, a million people. So, the anniversary of the Rav arrives, and they want to hold a memorial for him as they should, as befitting his honor, as the entire public recognized his greatness, and suddenly they issue a legal opinion. This wicked woman, the attorney general — I don’t know what her name is — this crazy Miara, issues a legal opinion that it is forbidden to hold a gathering in honor of Maran. Rabin was murdered close to elections, and for him they don’t prohibit it.

“He belongs to the left, fine, let them hold a gathering, why not? But Maran was the gadol hador, who was not a political person. Maran was a Torah figure. Rabin was a political person, but Maran was a Torah figure. She issued an opinion this week that it is forbidden to hold gatherings before elections. They should not listen to her at all. Hakadosh Boruch Hu will destroy her; He will give her her blow. She is messing with Maran, with Maran, the gadol hador. This will not pass in silence. Hashem should help that she gets her blow.”

In its request, the Movement for Quality Government argued that Rav Yosef’s comments must be viewed in the context of what it described as an increasingly hostile public atmosphere and repeated attacks against the attorney general and other senior public officials.

The organization noted Rav Yosef’s stature and broad public influence, pointing out that his weekly shiur is recorded, broadcast and viewed by a large audience.

According to the organization, the totality of the remarks raises a genuine concern that they could constitute incitement to violence under Section 144D2(a) of Israel’s Penal Law. It said determining whether the comments crossed the criminal threshold requires consideration of the identity and influence of the speaker, precisely what was said, the context in which the remarks were delivered, the audience and the extent to which they were disseminated.

“Given Rabbi Yosef’s high standing and the broad distribution in which the remarks were heard, garnering thousands of views, this raises a concern about the commission of acts of violence. Therefore, the movement demanded that law enforcement authorities open a criminal investigation against Rabbi Yosef, or at the very least a preliminary inquiry, and act to fully pursue the matter if it is found that there is a basis to do so,” the organization said.

Attorney Yael Bloch, director of the litigation department at the Movement for Quality Government, said criticism of the attorney general is legitimate but argued that Rav Yosef’s comments went beyond permissible criticism.

“It is permissible to criticize a decision by the attorney general. It is forbidden to turn that criticism into harsh statements that raise concern about incitement to violence against her. This is not the first time Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef has used his position and influence to attack the rule of law and the gatekeepers. We are not the ones who determine whether an offense was committed — that is the job of law enforcement authorities. Now they must examine the remarks seriously and quickly.”

Shas MK Michael Malchieli responded sharply to the demand for an investigation and defended Rav Yosef’s right to express his daas Torah.

“The ginger’s brazenness is reaching the heavens and breaking a new record. No one will be able to harm Maran shlita, who stated his opinion, daas Torah, clearly. The Shas movement will continue to grow stronger despite the ginger’s bitterness and whims.”