Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara is standing by her position on Wednesday regarding the state event in memory of HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef, zt”l.

Despite the public uproar and fierce reactions from Shas, she has continued to insist that the event cannot take place before the elections.

In a response sent to Religious Services Ministry Director-General Yehuda Avidan, Deputy Attorney General Roy Schondorf clarified that there is no general impediment to holding the memorial service and commemorative events for Maran. However, regarding the government-sponsored event that the ministry wants to hold, the legal advisers’ position remains unchanged.

Schondorf clarified that “no general directive was issued regarding the holding or postponement of commemorative events for the Rav, zt”l, including the memorial service and state ceremonies, and in particular, there is no impediment to holding them.”

However, the legal advisers distinguish between holding commemorative events in general and the government-sponsored event in the format planned by the Religious Services Ministry. The letter noted that the event includes, among other things, visual content and displays and receives extensive media coverage. Because of its proximity to the elections, the legal advisers believe there is a problem with holding it on the planned date and proposed postponing it until after the elections.

Another point raised in the response concerns the day of the yahrtzeit, which falls on October 14, while the ministry sought to begin the event on October 6, eight days earlier. The legal advisers cited this gap in explaining why, in their view, the conference could be postponed until after the elections.

Avidan’s claims of discrimination between the conference commemorating Maran and events expected to be held close to the elections marking the anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, z”l, were not addressed in the letter.

Shas reacted sharply to the decision and announced that it intends to appeal to the Central Elections Committee.

“The provocative decision by the ousted Attorney General, who insists on prohibiting the conference honoring the legacy of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef, zt”l, without any logical justification, is a grave affront to millions of traditional Jews who seek to honor his memory and legacy, and a blatant trampling of the Maran Legacy Law, which passed unanimously in the Knesset,” the party said.

“Shas will not give up and will petition the Central Elections Committee against this arbitrary decision. We will not remain silent when it comes to Maran’s honor!”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)