Chief Rabbi Backs Shas MK After Extremist Heckling

Israel's Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef sent a volume of his halakhic work "Yalkut Yosef" to Knesset member Michael Malkieli on Sunday, accompanied by a personal dedication offering his backing to the Shas party lawmaker who holds the Religious Services portfolio.

The gesture came after Malkieli was confronted Saturday night by a group of extremists at the Yeshurun Central Synagogue (known as "Yesodim") in Jerusalem. The incident occurred following the Chief Rabbi's weekly Torah lecture and a Selichos prayer service, as tensions continue over proposed legislation regarding military service for yeshiva students.

Rabbi Yosef made his support clear immediately after the incident by inviting Malkieli to ride with him in his car, demonstrating publicly that he stands behind the lawmaker's actions.

In the personal inscription accompanying the book, the Chief Rabbi wrote: "To our honored and exalted one, a man of noble spirit and understanding, an emissary of the rabbis, wise and upright, who brings merit to the many, the honorable Rabbi Michael Malkieli, may he live long: Be strong and courageous, do not fear and do not be dismayed! With great blessing, 10th of Elul 5786."

The biblical phrase "do not fear and do not be dismayed" echoes encouragement given to Yehoshua in the Torah. Rabbi Yosef dispatched his son-in-law, Rabbi Baruch Deri, to personally deliver the book to the Knesset member.

In a statement, the Shas party characterized those who confronted Malkieli as "an extremist fringe group engaging in anarchistic behavior that causes serious harm to the haredi public and the Torah world, and collaborates with left-wing organizations with the aim of damaging the right-wing bloc and those who preserve tradition."

The party added: "No thug will intimidate members of Knesset or divert the Shas movement from its path, a path of unity, Torah, and love of Israel."