ICC Issues Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant
We went into Shabbos last week having just heard the news that the International Criminal Court in the Hague had ruled that Binyomin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant (the recently dismissed minister of defense) should be tried as war criminals. When Shabbos ended, we were given another reason to worry as well: A religious Jew living in Dubai had disappeared, and there was great concern that he had been murdered by terrorists. Sadly, those concerns later turned out to have been correct. But I will start with the first story.
The ICC’s ruling is replete with euphemisms, but the intent is clear. As far as the court in the Hague is concerned, Israel is committing genocide, starving children, and murdering civilians. Consequently, the two men who have been leading the military campaign—Netanyahu and Gallant—have been labeled as criminals, no less than Sinwar and Nasrallah! And the court wasn’t satisfied with that ruling alone; they also issued arrest warrants against both men, which would ostensibly lead them to be taken into custody as soon as they set foot in any country in Europe.
Of course, some foreign governments have no intention of complying with this absurd ruling. The government of Hungary, for instance, invited Netanyahu for an official visit as soon as the court’s ruling was announced, and Argentina likewise announced its intention to ignore the ICC’s ruling. The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, is known to be extremely sympathetic to Israel. Italy has likewise opposed the verdict, while officials in London claim that they are “examining” the situation. On the other hand, some countries will certainly accept the ruling. Jordan, France, and the Netherlands—the country where the International Criminal Court in the Hague is located—have already declared their intention to abide by the court’s orders, and Israel asked the Dutch foreign minister to delay his visit to Israel as a result. Josep Borrell, the foreign affairs minister of the European Union, declared publicly that the court’s ruling is not politically motivated and that it must be respected.
According to the court’s statement, Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility as perpetrators or accomplices to the crime of using starvation as a weapon and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. The court considered Netanyahu and Gallant responsible for these acts as the designated civilian leaders directing a deliberate attack against a civilian populace. Allow me to quote the text of their ruling: “With regard to the crimes, the Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Netanyahu, born on 21 October 1949, Prime Minister of Israel at the time of the relevant conduct, and Mr. Gallant, born on 8 November 1958, Minister of Defense of Israel at the time of the alleged conduct, each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”
The court released its verdict after hearing petitions submitted by various countries, chief among them South Africa. Israel tried to defend itself using various forms of evidence, but those efforts turned out to be in vain. It is interesting to note that the Israeli judiciary has imposed many restrictions on the IDF in the past, including some that actually led to the deaths of soldiers, on the grounds that they needed to comply with the dictates of international law to avoid an unfavorable ruling in the Hague. Well, now it turns out that while the army was limited and soldiers were killed, they were still unable to avert this ruling.
Waiting for Trump’s Response
The Prime Minister’s Office condemned the ICC’s ruling as “an anti-Semitic verdict of the International Criminal Court that is essentially a modern-day Dreyfuss affair, and that will end in the same way.” The PMO’s statement added, “Israel utterly rejects the false and absurd charges of the International Criminal Court, a biased and discriminatory political body. No war is more just than the war Israel has been waging in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terrorist organization launched a murderous assault and perpetrated the largest massacre against the Jewish People since the Holocaust.” Netanyahu’s office also attacked the prosecutor and the judges on a personal level, and the statement concluded, “Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu will not give in to pressure. He will continue to pursue all the objectives that Israel set out to achieve in its just war against Hamas and the Iranian axis of terror.” The Israelis, meanwhile, are waiting to see how Trump will react.
The new defense minister, Yisroel Katz, decried the ICC’s ruling as “a moral disgrace completely colored by anti-Semitism that has brought the international judicial system to an unprecedented nadir.” He added, “This is a shameful decision that serves the head of the snake, Iran, and its proxies. The International Criminal Court has decided to back those who aspire to destroy the State of Israel.” The new foreign minister, Gideon Saar, wrote, “This is a black moment for the ICC, which has lost all legitimacy for its existence and its activities. It has worked as a political tool in service of the most extreme elements acting to undermine peace, security, and stability in the Middle East. From a moral standpoint,” he added, “this is a severe ethical breach that turns good into evil and serves evil. From a political standpoint, the issuing of warrants against a country acting in consonance with international law is a reward and encouragement for the axis of evil, which breaks those laws freely and consistently. Every person or country of integrity in the world should forcefully reject this injustice.”
President Yitzchok Herzog said, “This is a black day for justice and a black day for humanity. The absurd decision of the IDC, which was made with a complete lack of integrity, has turned universal justice into a universal joke. It makes a mockery of the sacrifices of everyone who fought for justice, from the time of the Allied victory over the Nazis until today. This decision ignores the terrible distress of the 101 Israeli hostages who are being held in Hamas’s cruel captivity in Hamas.”
Australia Denies Entry to Former Minister
If you think it is absurd that Israeli government officials will now have to fear visiting European countries lest they be placed under arrest, you might be even more astonished by the following story, which actually took place before the verdict was issued in the Hague.
Ayelet Shaked, who served as minister of justice in the Bennett government, was recently invited to attend a conference in Australia organized by AIJAC (the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council), which promotes strategic dialogue between Israel and Australia. Shaked applied for a visa, which is required of Israeli visitors, and was shocked when she was turned down. It is believed that her request was denied for political reasons, due to her opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state. This was a somewhat unprecedented decision, since the Israeli politicians who were previously denied entry to various countries were known to be extremists, either on the right or the left, whereas Shaked is positioned squarely on the center-right of the political map. She is far from extreme by any measure.
Shocked by the Australian refusal, Shaked responded sharply. “The current government of Australia is an extreme anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian government, part of which is even antisemitic, which does not allow me to attend a strategic dialogue between Israel and Australia for political reasons and because I oppose a Palestinian state,” she said. “These are dark days for Australian democracy. This government has chosen the wrong side of history.”
The Foreign Ministry was likewise shocked by the Australian move and is currently weighing its response, but there is very little that Israel can do about it. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel remarked at a conference for heads of local governments last week, “I condemn the shameful decision of the Australian government to deny permission for former minister Shaked to visit the country because of her resistance to the establishment of a Palestinian state. We will take reciprocal steps.”
The Murder of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan Hy”d
Our next topic, of course, is the murder of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan. The murdered shaliach, who was raised in Yerushalayim, attended Litvish yeshivos in Israel, as well as Yeshivas Toras Chaim of Moscow, and then found his way to Chabad. His brother, Reuven Kogan, is the director of Chabad activities in Dubai. The searches got underway at the end of the week, and the efforts were stepped up as Shabbos arrived. When his car was discovered about an hour and a half from his home, it seemed clear that he had suffered a tragedy. His body was found on Sunday. According to all the evidence available—mainly footage from security cameras—Kogan was followed by four people who managed to lure him to a certain location. Shortly after the discovery of his body, the Emirate authorities announced that they apprehended three people who were tied to the murder.
Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke about the murder at the beginning of the cabinet meeting on Monday. “This murder was committed in the United Arab Emirates,” he said. “The murder of an Israeli citizen and a shaliach of Chabad is a heinous anti-Semitic terror attack. I would like to convey heartfelt condolences to the Kogan family on behalf of all of us. The State of Israel will use every means at its disposal to bring the murderers and those who engaged them to justice. None of them will escape.” Netanyahu added, “I deeply appreciate the cooperation of the UAE in the investigation of this murder. We will strengthen the ties between us specifically in the face of the efforts of the axis of evil to harm the peaceful relationship between us. We will strengthen them, and we will also act to expand stability in the region.”
Many public figures, including the chareidi political leaders, expressed their horror over the murder and voiced their support for Chabad emissaries throughout the world. Incidentally, the annual convention of Chabad emissaries in New York is taking place this week.
Hundreds of Missiles on Sunday
At the beginning of this week, air raid sirens sounded again—not only in the areas bordering Gaza and Lebanon but in the center of the country as well. There were sirens even in Elad, which I emphasize because of its association with the religious community. We had all thought that we had heard the end of missile barrages in cities such as Tel Aviv, Petach Tikvah, and Elad, but we turned out to be wrong. We had thought that Hamas has already been relieved of all of its weapons, but that turned out to be untrue. Almost every week, reports have been heard about missiles that were not intercepted and that landed in various places, with various degrees of damage occurring as a result. Sometimes it is damage to property, and in a few cases, unfortunately, there have been fatalities as well. However, I must make it clear that there have been undeniable miracles. Every such missile has the capacity to kill dozens or even hundreds of people, chas v’sholom. This was driven home to us last week when a missile landed on the border of Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak, near several tall buildings. Had the missile landed just one meter further to the left or the right, the disaster could have been hundreds of times more severe.
The missile strikes have left many of us with a niggling question: What happened to the Iron Dome? Has the American government decided to halt or slow down deliveries of the interceptors? If the Iron Dome is fully stocked, then it would be very strange that so many of its interceptions are failing, with many missiles landing in Israel and causing damage as a result. We all remember the night when 200 missiles were fired from the direction of Yemen and Iran, and all of them were intercepted (albeit with assistance from America and the countries of Europe). That leaves us to wonder what is happening now.
On Sunday, air raid sirens sounded in the Gush Dan and the Sharon in response to about ten missiles that crossed the border from Lebanese territory into Israel. Some of the missiles were intercepted while the others fell in inhabited areas, but we still experienced miracles. The Lebanese Al Myadeen network, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that the barrage had been targeting a “military target in Tel Aviv.” That is quite worrying, since the barrage on Bnei Brak was also aimed at a military target located in the area, which is quite close to the location where the missile fell. (I can share this information in this newspaper on the assumption that it will not fall into the hands of hostile elements; in Israel, on the other hand, the military censor would probably have ordered it removed from the article.)
After the missile strike at the beginning of the week, the media reported that shrapnel had struck a home in Petach Tikvah just a few dozen meters away from a gas station. Another missile landing was reported in Herzliya, where several people were injured, and shrapnel from interceptions was also located in several locations near Kfar Kassem. Later on, a direct hit was reported in Haifa following a series of missile barrages from Lebanon that ignited several fires. Another missile strike was reported in Kiryat Shmonah, where a victim was listed in moderate to serious condition and property damage was reported as well. Another civilian was seriously wounded in Kfar Blum, and a missile struck an apartment building in Nahariya, causing damage to the building but no injuries. In the Krayot (the cities near Haifa), several rocket fragments were found and light damage was discovered. And, as I mentioned, sirens sounded in Elad as well.
The IDF spokesman summed up the events on Sunday, reporting that about 30 launches from Lebanon had been detected, resulting in barrages on Haifa, Nahariya, and other communities in the area. And this does not include the missile strikes in the center of the country. All in all, there were 350 missiles launched at Israel in a single day!
New Defense Minister Scraps Detention Order Policy
Speaking of the much-maligned political right, the incoming minister of defense made history this week when he announced that he was putting an end to the use of administrative detention orders against Jewish settlers. An administrative detention order is an extremely arbitrary act that is often used by the Shin Bet against two categories of people. The first group targeted by these orders consists of Arabs who are suspected to be on the way to carry out a terror attack or to have information about a terror attack in the making. L’havdil, the second category is the hilltop youth, a group of Jews who are often accused of abusing Palestinians. There is a good deal of debate as to whether these youths should actually be viewed as violent delinquents, but the intelligence services seem to be convinced of it; as a result, they are repeatedly taken into custody under administrative orders. All it takes is a recommendation from the Shin Bet and the signature of the defense minister, and then the subject of the order disappears to some unknown location for a period of time. There is no hearing in court, there are no lawyers involved, and the subject is never given the chance to defend himself. These orders are sometimes issued for long periods of time, and the detainees are sometimes fathers of children. And the Shin Bet certainly seems to be a bit too quick to procure these orders at times. Just to give you an idea of the scope of this phenomenon, here are the names of a few people who were detained under administrative orders in the distant past: Rabbi Yitzchok Ginsburg, Meir Kahane, Michoel Ben-Chorin, Noam Federman, Boruch Marzel, and Bentzi Gopstein. In other words, the orders have been used against all the leaders of the political right in the past, and many of its prominent activists today.
Katz also informed the chief of staff of the IDF this week that he will not approve several of his recommendations for promotions for various officers, which earned him more appreciation from the right, but that is a different subject.
The use of administrative detention orders has been decried numerous times by Betzalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and rabbonim and journalists associated with the right, among others. However, their objections have always fallen on deaf ears. Whenever a new right-wing defense minister was appointed, many people prayed for him to be the one to inform the Shin Bet and the IDF that the practice was to be discontinued. Until now, however, every defense minister went along with the policy. But now Yisroel Katz, the new defense minister and a prominent figure in the Likud and on the right, has finally announced that he will put a stop to the practice. That makes this a revolutionary development.
Katz instructed the director of the Shin Bet to seek alternative means to use in his battle against the extreme right. “In a reality where the Jewish settlement in Yehuda and Shomron is facing serious Palestinian terror threats, with the support and backing of the Iranian axis of evil as it seeks to open a new terror front against the State of Israel, and where unjustified international sanctions are imposed against settlers and their organizations, it is not appropriate for the State of Israel to take such severe steps against the people of the settlements,” he wrote.
If I were to quote all the accolades that Minister Katz received from the right for this move, I would have to triple the length of this column. And it would take a similar amount of space to quote everyone who spoke out against him. Politicians on the left claimed that he was encouraging “Jewish terror,” and some officials identified only as “judicial sources” slammed the move as well. It is easy enough to figure out that the condemnations came from the Shin Bet, most of which appears to be made up of leftists (as evidenced by the Eli Feldstein case as well). Shin Bet officials warned, “This decision gives a license to kill to the hilltop youth and shackles the hands of the Shin Bet in its handling of subversive Jewish forces in the territories. The decision is likely to give rise to underground efforts to attack Arabs and will probably inflame the area.” The senior officials (who did not have the courage to be quoted by name) also warned that the decision would seriously harm the Shin Bet’s abilities to deter or thwart acts of terror, whether perpetrated by extremist Jews or by Arabs. Some of the reports added that “the criminal justice system”—again, a term used to quote sources anonymously—believes that if the Supreme Court is petitioned on the subject, it is likely to disqualify Minister Katz’s new policy, which calls for discriminatory law enforcement based on ethnic origin. Considering that the report also states that the Shin Bet refused to react to the decision, it is obvious that the leak came from the Shin Bet.
A Blood Libel Against a Man of Virtue
Last Wednesday, the media reported that the famous researcher Zeev Chanoch Ehrlich, who is known by his nickname “Jabo,” was killed by terrorists in Lebanon. Most people immediately raised the obvious question: What was a 70-year-old man doing in Lebanon? When the media followed up by reporting that he had entered Lebanon with permission from a senior officer in the army, the criticism shifted toward that officer. It seemed as if someone high up in the IDF (and associated with the right, of course) had permitted Jabo, a well-known right-wing figure, to enter the danger zone for no discernible reason.
Ehrlich, a long-time resident of the settlement of Ofra, was killed in a confrontation with terrorists in Lebanon after entering the area as a civilian with authorization from Yoav Yarom, a colonel in the reserves, who was believed to have authorized his visit in violation of IDF regulations. Yoav himself was injured in the same incident, and another soldier was killed. That was all it took to trigger an uproar in the media.
The political right did not respond at first, although it was obvious that something about this story did not add up. It was soon revealed that this wasn’t the first time that Jabo had entered a war zone as a civilian; in fact, he entered Gaza during the early months of the ground incursion, with the approval of senior IDF officers, and he had previously visited Arab-occupied areas of Yehuda and Shomron under guard from the IDF. At that point, the niggling questions blossomed into a full-blown mystery. What was the meaning of this? Why was this academic in his seventies frequenting dangerous war zones? The leftists began painting a picture of an eccentric man who received permission from the army to enter war zones for no good reason, and whose capricious behavior had caused the death of Gur Kehati, the other soldier killed in the incident. The flames of incitement were fanned, and tensions began rising.
But then it became clear that the agitators had gotten the story completely wrong. Zeev Ehrlich, a renowned historian and archaeologist, had indeed entered war zones with the army on a regular basis—at the army’s request, when his expertise on ancient buildings was needed. Jabo, who wrote a book on Jewish buildings in Gaza, was considered an expert in the field, and when the army needed immediate information on the interior of a historic building in the battle zone, they would call on Jabo, who would always respond instantly. The famed researcher was prepared to don his IDF uniform and arrive at the scene on a moment’s notice; when Jabo as asked to help defend Eretz Yisroel, he did not hesitate to come to the army’s aid. In fact, it is believed that his expertise saved the lives of many soldiers in the past, thanks to the detailed information he was able to provide about historic structures that might have been harboring terrorists.
In this case, there was a historic building in Lebanon that the army refrained from bombing from the air due to its significance. The IDF suspected that there might be terrorists hiding in the building, and they consulted with Jabo to learn about its interior. Unfortunately, two terrorists were indeed holed up in the building, and they killed Jabo and Kehati and injured Yarom, who is considered one of the most cautious commanders in the IDF and recently clashed with the chief of staff on the subject. The entire controversy, then, proved to be one massive blood libel, which was at least deflated fairly quickly. The levayah was held in Ofra (even though the army offered him a military funeral at a military cemetery, a privilege accorded to every soldier who is killed in action) and was attended by a large crowd, and many people visited the family during the shiva as well. I felt a certain connection to the family since one of the aveilim, Yitzchok Amitai, is my coworker in the Knesset. He is the spokesman for the Knesset Health Committee and is one of the most popular Knesset employees, as well as a talmid chochom and a yarei Shomayim. On Wednesday, he released a sharply worded statement against the IDF spokesman, who initially joined the ranks of the critics until he realized the truth of the matter.
Madness: Feldstein Charged with Harming National Security
On a related note, this brings us to the subject of Eli Feldstein. While my article on last week’s debate in the Knesset touches on the Feldstein affair, there is much more to discuss, especially since new information has come to light since that time. First of all, the Shin Bet rushed to file an indictment against Feldstein and a second suspect (another young man from a chareidi family who decided to enlist in the army). In the State of Israel, indictments against civilians are filed by the State Prosecutor’s Office, and the case was dauntingly titled “the State of Israel vs. Eli Feldstein.” Apparently, the Shin Bet realized that they had climbed a very tall tree, and they decided that the only option they had was to continue climbing ever higher. The same is true of the prosecution.
Most of the Israeli public does not believe a single word of the allegations against Feldstein and his co-defendant. An indictment consists of multiple parts, beginning with the facts and continuing with the charges. In this case, the facts are not in dispute, but the charges are utterly absurd. Feldstein is basically being accused of the crime of treason!
Again, no one denies that Eli Feldstein obtained a classified document and leaked it to the German newspaper Bild. Both Feldstein and the officer who provided the document to him were likely acting with the prime minister’s knowledge, or at least for his benefit (and the benefit of the state). The officer who relayed the document to Feldstein claims that he did so only after his superiors refused to transfer it to the prime minister themselves. But the way these actions have been categorized is infuriating: Feldstein has been charged with transferring classified information with the intent of harming state security, and the reservist who gave the document to him is accused only of transferring secret information (without the added charge of seeking to harm state security).
According to the charge sheet, from June 2024 until the time of their arrest, the defendants maintained a direct, ongoing connection whose goal was to create a channel for the transfer of classified intelligence information outside the ordinary military system, with the goal of bypassing the established protocols for transferring documents. At the beginning of September, an article appeared in the German newspaper Bild that discussed a document belonging to Hamas. The article contained a substantial portion of the content of this document, which was designated confidential by Israeli authorities. After the information was published in Germany, Feldstein worked to have other articles published in the Israeli media reporting the information that had appeared in the German press, which was now fair game for Israeli newspapers. After the publication, the other suspect wrote to Feldstein, “Take your time; the boss is satisfied.” The “boss,” of course, is a reference to Netanyahu. The indictment thus manages to insert Netanyahu into the picture, although that is actually beneficial for Feldstein himself.
The charge sheet continues, “During that month, Feldstein received three classified documents from the other suspect, which he held unlawfully in his home. Upon receipt of the classified documents, Feldstein wrote to another spokesman for the prime minister, Ofer Golan, and to Jonathan Urich, “I have collected everything.” In his correspondence with Golan, Feldstein added, “It needs to be brought to the boss.”
When the indictment was publicized, it elicited a barrage of criticism against the state prosecutor. Feldstein has been treated like the lowliest terrorist, and everyone knows that the Shin Bet’s top officials are deeply opposed to Netanyahu. There is hardly anyone who denies that Feldstein did exactly what would be expected of a patriotic Zionist. The state prosecution realized that they needed to explain themselves, and they released a long-winded document in the form of questions and answers defending their behavior in this case. The Likud responded with a list of questions and answers of its own, demonstrating point by point that the prosecution is continuing to lie.
The time will come when this story will be over, and it will probably be determined that Feldstein acted properly. In a few years, this episode will certainly have faded out of the public consciousness. But the behavior of the Shin Bet is exactly reminiscent of the conduct of dark, totalitarian regimes.
Feldstein’s Family Reveals That He Was Tortured
The Israeli public was further shocked when Feldstein’s brother Shlomo appeared on Channel 14, the only media station in Israel that isn’t adversarial to Netanyahu. Shlomo Feldstein spoke openly about the devastation that his family has suffered. “They took a normal person and turned him into something worse than the Nukhba terrorists,” he declared. “It has completely destroyed my parents.”
Shlomo added that when the story began, he and his parents were unaware of what was happening to Eli for several days. The most devastating moment, he said, was when fifteen masked men armed with M16 machine guns blocked the street and raided their home. He also claimed that when he saw his brother in court, he observed that Eli had lost fifteen kilograms. “The judge asked him why he looked that way, and he burst into tears,” Shlomo said. “My parents were devastated. My father fell into my arms. Why should he have to sit in court and hear those words?”
Shlomo Feldstein demanded, “What did they do to him? Why did they have to destroy my brother’s soul? They turned him and his family into shattered vessels. They took a normal person and treated him worse than the Nukhba terrorists. They debate whether to give the terrorists one blanket or two, while my brother is left to shiver in the cold and my mother isn’t allowed to bring him clothes.”
Feldstein’s parents were permitted to speak with their son only on two occasions thus far, each time for only four minutes, and were heartbroken. “I am pained by your suffering,” Eli told his parents. “I shouldn’t be here; I didn’t do anything wrong!”
His brother attested, “He said to us, ‘You can’t imagine what I’ve been through. They questioned me for 18 to 20 hours a day.’ They showed him things that they pretended were real but had never happened. He is being subjected to brainwashing.” Shlomo explained the reason for his statements: He related that Eli had told him about bizarre events that he claimed were taking place in Israel since the time of his arrest, events that were completely fabricated. This indicates that the Shin Bet has been engaging in their well-known trick of printing fake newspapers for their prisoners’ consumption or recording fictitious radio broadcasts to convince Feldstein that they were telling him the truth. The goal of this ploy is usually to convince a prisoner that everyone has abandoned him, and thus to induce him to become a state witness. In this case, there is no doubt about what they want—Bibi Netanyahu’s head!
Netanyahu released a statement of his own after the charges were publicized. “Yesterday, an indictment was filed against Eli Feldstein and against an IDF officer for leaking the Hamas document,” the prime minister wrote. “The purpose of this indictment is clear: to harm me and to harm you, the citizens of Israel who support me. I know Eli Feldstein; he is a Zionist patriot and a captain in the reserves, and there isn’t the slightest chance that he would ever do anything to harm national security. Citizens of Israel, we are fighting a war on seven fronts, and we are fighting on this front as well. The truth will ultimately prevail over these ploys; truth will vanquish falsehood. Do not give in to fear, and do not lose hope.”
Netanyahu Excoriates the Shin Bet
That wasn’t the end of Netanyahu’s speech. Once again, he mentioned the endless leaks from closed cabinet meetings and security consultations, which have never been investigated despite his many requests. This is the only case in which a leak is being investigated, and the reason is clear—because in this case, the perpetrator is an associate of the prime minister. “It doesn’t take a great genius to figure out why there was no investigation into all those other leaks [since they were intended to harm the prime minister] but now an investigation into a single leak has suddenly burst into our lives,” Netanyahu said. “They are investigating the release of a document that reveals Hamas’s strategy of deliberately dividing Israeli society. This document should have been on my desk all along; I need to make decisions based on this type of information, and it certainly should not have been withheld from me. And this is not the first time that critical information wasn’t transferred to me. But here, and only here, the investigations have suddenly begun.”
For the first time, the prime minister spoke directly about the charges filed against Feldstein and the reserve officer who collaborated with him. “The indictments were filed against them, but the real target is clear: The goal is to harm me,” he said. “This witch hunt will not deter me.
The prime minister added, “I would like to make one closing comment to the families of Feldstein and the officer. It pains me that your children are being used as pawns to harm me. The accusation that one of them acted deliberately to undermine the country’s security is a malevolent claim that is patently false. I know Eli Feldstein, who is an Israeli patriot, a passionate Zionist, and a captain in the reserves who made a journey from the world of Torah to the army. There is no chance in the world that he would do anything to deliberately endanger the country’s security. When masked men come to you in the middle of the night, arrest you, isolate you, handcuff you, and threaten you with life in prison if you don’t’ give them what they want, a man can break. He can even admit to the murder of Arlozorov under those circumstances.
“You all know how it works,” Netanyahu continued. “There will be a trial, and then everything will disappear and the truth will come out. But in the meantime, there are accusations and explosive headlines. I read the charges, and it’s clear to me that the officer in the reserves also thought that important documents weren’t being brought to me. That is a very serious matter. I am the prime minister, and I should be receiving important classified documents…. Young people are being held like the worst terrorists,” he added. “For many long days, they have been denied access to their lawyers, and their basic rights as citizens have been violated.”
This was an unbridled attack on the prosecution. Netanyahu accused the Shin Bet of waging a politicized campaign, and he seems to be absolutely right about that. Of course, the Israeli media attacked Netanyahu for the “lawlessness” of his response. It will probably take many years, but this episode will eventually take its place among many other chapters of Israeli history that demonstrate that the State of Israel is truly a police state.
A Hesped in Bayit Vegan
I could easily write much more, but I think I have reached the end of my allotment of space for this week. Let me conclude this column, then, with a brief anecdote and a bit of Torah. Not long ago, hespedim were delivered in the Chida shul in the neighborhood of Bayit Vegan for a resident of the neighborhood named Rav Avrohom Siman-Tov. The niftar was an outstanding baal chessed with close ties to many gedolei Yisroel and was one of the most distinguished members of the kollel headed by Rav Nissim Harari, the rov of his shul. One of the hespedim was delivered by Rav Yitzchok Yosef, who told a fascinating story: When Rav Elyashiv was sitting shiva, Rav Yitzchok’s father, Rav Ovadiah Yosef, paid a visit to him, accompanied by Rav Yitzchok himself. When they arrived, Rav Elyashiv was in the middle of a conversation with Rav Shmuel Wosner over the telephone. They were discussing whether one can perform the mitzvah of nichum aveilim with a phone call. When Rav Ovadiah entered the room, Rav Elyashiv said to the caller, “Just a moment; Rav Ovadiah just arrived. I will ask him.”
Rav Ovadiah heard the question and said, “This is the subject of a dispute between the Rambam and the Raavad, and one can follow the Raavad’s lenient view.”
“Gedolei Yisroel sometimes speak in cryptic terms,” Rav Yitzchok said. “My father was referring to the Raavad’s discussion of yakra d’chayei and yakra d’shachvei [whether nichum aveilim is considered a means of honoring the living or honoring the deceased]. If it is a matter of honoring the living, then one can fulfill the obligation with a telephone call.” Rav Yitzchok went on to speak highly of the niftar, who was a talmid chochom and tzaddik and raised a family of righteous children.
Another interesting hesped was delivered by Rav Moshe Tzadkah, rosh yeshiva of Porat Yosef. Rav Tzadkah propounded a fascinating chiddush: Even if the obligation to daven in general is derabbanan, the Tehillim recited after davening today, due to the war in Eretz Yisroel, are considered a Torah-level obligation, since the requirement to daven during a time of danger is a mitzvah in the Torah.
The maspidim also related that although the niftar passed away shortly before Shabbos and hadn’t purchased a burial plot during his lifetime, his wife remained calm, while most people would have panicked at the need to procure a burial plot on such short notice. “A kever will be found for him; do not worry,” she said. She explained that her husband had been notified on an erev Shabbos several years earlier about someone who had passed away and did not have anyone to dig a grave for him due to the late hour. Upon becoming aware of the situation, Rav Siman-Tov and his children had made their way to the cemetery to dig the grave personally for the niftar. “Is it possible that this tzaddik would suffer in the very area in which he exerted himself for others?” she said with pure sincerity.
