Yesh Atid Politician Insults Chief Rabbi

Yarmulke wearing Elazar Stern of Yesh Atid insolently insulted Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef in the Knesset plenum because of Rav Yosef’s intent to have the Beis Din Hagadol for Appeals annul the ruling of Tzefas dayan Rav Uriel Lavi that a get could be delivered via a sholiach to the wife of a comatose husband.

“The chief rabbi is not a dayan that he can overturn a psak din that released an agunah,” Stern said. “I denigrate a chief rabbi who annuls the releasing of an agunah. Rav Ovadiah is turning in his grave over the persecution of agunos.“

MKs violently objected to his insolence and Shas issued a sharp response to his behavior, stating: “Insolence and nerve! Remove your shoes from your feet before you open your unclean mouth against the Rishon Letzion. What do you understand of halacha and dayonus? You are light years distant from true halacha. We strongly protest against the severe and denigrating things you said from the Knesset plenum and expect everyone who values the honor of the Israeli rabbinate to raise his voice in protest.”

Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid rejected Stern’s attitude, telling MK Yoav Ben Tzur of Shas, “He spoke in his own name. I distance myself from his words against the chief rabbi.”

This was after Ben Tzur told Lapid: “It’s a pity that you have an MK in your party who, with a few words, destroys your work of a whole year [to conciliate the chareidi public].”

Stern issued a statement claiming that he made it clear as part of his discussion that he was not deriding Rav Yosef on a personal level.

{Matzav.com Israel News}