Let the RABBIS GO

This was an excellent article from the Jerusalem Post today. Please see the link for the full article. 


Let the rabbis go

By JPOST EDITORIAL
12/09/2010 22:44
If rabbis wish to express their opinions, let them do so as individuals, not as representatives of the State of Israel.

Close to 300 rabbis, including dozens of city rabbis who receive salaries from their respective municipalities, have signed a declaration forbidding Jews to rent or sell property to Arabs.

AS CITIZENS living in a democratic state, rabbis are entitled to full intellectual freedom and should be allowed to interpret Judaism however they wish, as long as they do not break the law by, say, inciting their followers to perform violent acts.

But at the same time, city rabbis, as well as neighborhood rabbis, should not receive a salary from the State of Israel for expressing their opinions on a wide range of issues. Nor should they be permitted to exploit the powers and prestige given to them by virtue of their status as public servants to leverage their influence over public opinion.

As a Jewish state, Israel must keep in place laws that reflect its very raison d’etre, such as the Law of Return or legislation that encourages in-marriage among Jews.



http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Editorials/Article.aspx?id=198805