Jerusalem Memorial Event for Late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Canceled Amid Legal Saga
The official memorial hillula for late Shas founder Rabbi Ovadia Yosef at Binyanei HaUma has been canceled due to legal delays and an Attorney General election ban.
The central memorial event and annual commemoration for the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, founder and spiritual leader of Shas, scheduled to take place over three days at Binyanei HaUma in Jerusalem, has been officially and finally canceled. This was announced in an official letter signed by Yehuda Avidan, Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services.
The letter, addressed to Jerusalem Municipality CEO Ariela Rajuan and Jacob Cohen, Director of the Projects and Religious Events Division, details the chain of circumstances that led to the decision. Avidan noted that due to tight scheduling constraints following the Attorney General's directive that the event could not be held during the election period, and given the protracted legal proceedings in the High Court of Justice, the three-day hillula planned for October 6-8 must be called off.
The Legal Saga and Election Propaganda Controversy
The cancellation concludes a turbulent legal and political saga that stirred the political arena and the ultra-Orthodox street in recent weeks. The original decision stemmed from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who ordered the freezing and postponement of the state-funded conference until after the election. The legal opinion argued that holding a state-funded public event dedicated to a figure so closely identified with Shas raised severe concerns regarding the misuse of public resources for prohibited election propaganda.
The directive provoked immense anger within Shas and the spiritual leadership of the Sephardic public. Rishon LeZion Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef launched a sharp attack against the Attorney General during his weekly lesson, claiming it constituted a severe blow to the dignity of the Torah and the legacy of the late posek.
High Court Petition and Logistical Deadlines
Shas refused to accept the decree and initiated a legal battle. After an appeal to the Central Elections Committee was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, the party urgently petitioned the High Court of Justice, demanding that the Attorney General's decision be overturned. In its petition, Shas accused authorities of selective and politically biased enforcement, comparing the situation to state memorial events for the late Yitzhak Rabin.
However, as High Court justices delayed and legal proceedings dragged on, time ran out for the massive logistical production. Organizing a three-day convention at Binyanei HaUma for tens of thousands of participants required immediate financial commitments and hall reservations that could not wait for a last-minute ruling. Consequently, the Ministry of Religious Services was forced to announce a comprehensive cancellation.
