Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Memorial Conference Canceled by State

The government conference commemorating Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has been officially canceled. The event, which was scheduled to take place October 6-8 at Binyanei Ha'uma in Jerusalem, will not proceed as planned.

Yehuda Avidan, Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services, sent an official letter to Justice and Religious Services Minister Yariv Levin, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, formally notifying them of the cancellation.

In his letter, Avidan stated that given the timeline, the Attorney General's directive, and the ongoing legal proceedings at the High Court of Justice, it would not be possible to hold the event on the scheduled date.

The letter announcing the conference cancellation

The decision follows the Attorney General's office position that the state conference could not take place before the elections, due to its proximity to election day and concerns about the use of public resources for campaign purposes. The conference was planned to include visual content and presentations, and was expected to receive extensive media coverage.

The Attorney General's office also noted that the anniversary of Rabbi Ovadia's passing falls on October 14, meaning the event could be held after the elections, which are scheduled for October 27.

Shas Legal Challenge Unsuccessful

Shas petitioned the High Court of Justice last week following the decision, arguing that preventing the conference constituted selective enforcement, particularly in light of the state memorial events for Yitzhak Rabin, which are scheduled to take place close to the election date.

Despite the cancellation, the Ministry of Religious Services has not ruled out holding an event commemorating Rabbi Ovadia at a later date. In his letter, Avidan noted that should a decision be made to hold an alternative event, the ministry would engage in discussions on the matter with the Jerusalem municipality.

Leading rabbis and public figures have sharply criticized the Attorney General. Among them, Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Tzamach Mazuz stated in his weekly address: "Poor thing, her mind is 'only evil all day long.' Every day this wicked Jezebel thinks up a new decree – 'What can I do to harm the Torah scholars?'"

The Rosh Yeshiva continued: "I saw a headline in the newspaper on Friday – 'The Attorney General forbids holding the hillula of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.' Yes, why? 'Because it could influence people to vote for Shas. No! We want clean elections.' What kind of 'clean' is she..."