The Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement distanced itself in Israel from Rabbi Gedalia Axelrod on Thursday after the senior rabbi issued a ruling on Jewish law.
Axelrod issued the ruling suggesting lethal force against Jewish politicians who cooperate with Arab parties. Axelrod is an 85-year-old veteran rov and a former head of the Haifa Rabbinical Court.
Axelrod circulated a handwritten letter earlier this week invoking the concept of din rodef. Yigal Amir cited the same religious principle when he assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.
Movement officials moved quickly to separate the organization from Axelrod’s statements.
“Chabad’s official halachic stance is determined only by the Chabad Rabbinical Court… Rabbi Axelrod is not a member of the court and does not hold a leadership role in Chabad. His comments and letter represent his opinion only,” said Rabbi Shimi Segal, the movement’s spokesman in Israel, as reported by Haaretz. Segal said that official positions follow the instructions of the Rebbe.
Axelrod argued in his letter that political cooperation with Arab factions poses a severe danger to people in the Holy Land. He ruled that political leaders who help form a government with the participation or support of Arab parties fall under the category of endangering lives.
Axelrod warned that lawmakers who allow such a government to be formed by abstaining from a vote would also bear responsibility. The controversy erupted after Democrats chairman Yair Golan advocated for forming a government with Arab parties and called for ending a “racist separation” between Jewish and Arab votes.
The United Arab List, led by Mansour Abbas, and the Joint List had previously recommended MKs to form a government. The United Arab List joined the 2021-2022 governing coalition formed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid.
The ruling drew immediate calls for law enforcement intervention from political figures and security veterans. A group of former heads of Israel’s security services and military sent a letter to Maj.-Gen. Boaz Balet, head of the police Investigations and Intelligence Division, urging authorities to summon the rabbi for questioning.
Democrats MK Michal Rozin called on the police and Shin Bet to investigate the rabbi for incitement.
Joint List MK Ofer Cassif called on State Prosecutor Amit Isman to open a criminal investigation into Axelrod, adding, “It is clearly incumbent upon the law enforcement authorities to operate with particular vigilance during this period against anyone who threatens, incites or legitimizes killing elected officials for exercising the public mandate given to them.”
The Israeli civil rights organization B’Tsalmo opposed the push for prosecution, criticizing left-wing politicians and organizations over the calls to investigate the elderly rabbi.
“The Knesset has barely begun, and the silencing has already started,” said Shai Glick, B’Tsalmo’s director.
Glick called on prosecutors to dismiss the complaint and argued that figures should not face criminal prosecution merely for expressing their religious and halachic positions.
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