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Israeli Police Issue Arrest Warrant For Rabbi Who Supported Book Justifying Killing of Non-Jews

By Howard M. Friedman

Haaretz reports today that an arrest warrant has been issued by Israeli authorities against Rabbi Dov Lior, head rabbi of Kiryat Arba, after Lior endorsed an inflammatory book written in late 2009 in which the authors argued that Jewish law justifies killing of non-Jews. (Background.)  The book, Torat Hamelech, written by two West Bank rabbis, Yitzhak Shapira and Yosef Elitzur, sparked a criminal investigation.  Lior says he will not appear for police questioning, accusing police of attempting to silence rabbis. Lior and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, who also supported the book, issued a letter arguing that the Torah is not subject to police investigations. Two thousand demonstrators showed up to support Lior today.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on February 08, 2011 (boomark / email).