Dim Amor
"Maakav" reveals forceful legal documents submitted to the Attorney General and the Israel Police, calling for the immediate opening of a criminal investigation into the former Chief Rabbi of Israel and spiritual leader of the Shas movement.
At the heart of the complaint are public calls to tear up draft orders, instructions to physically confront military police officers, and statements boasting of degrading the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The petition states: "His words constitute the ideological foundation for the escalating violence on the ground. One law applies to all".
On February 24, 2026, a wide-ranging criminal complaint was formally submitted to the Investigations Division against former Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef. The complaint alleges serious offenses, including incitement to violence, sedition, incitement to evade military service, and obstruction of draft procedures.
However, there are reasonable grounds for concern that the Israel Police may adopt a lenient approach and refrain from conducting a thorough investigation. This concern is based, among other factors, on the police’s controversial handling of the events in Bnei Brak (February 2026), where authorities allegedly limited themselves to preliminary accusations against IDF female soldiers who happened to be present, while conveying ambiguous messages to military authorities. There is apprehension that deference toward the rabbinical establishment may result in selective enforcement.
Given the sensitivity of the matter, a parallel and direct appeal was submitted to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, demanding unequivocally that she exercise her authority to order the immediate opening of a criminal investigation, with the goal of filing an indictment and exhausting legal proceedings regarding the serious offenses attributed to the suspect.
The demand outlines what it describes as a troubling factual framework suggesting a systematic pattern of conduct by a public leader aimed at encouraging defiance of the law and causing severe harm to state security.
Central to the issue is the fact that Rabbi Yosef is not a private individual but a spiritual leader wielding significant influence over entire sectors of society. Among his followers, his words are not perceived as mere opinion but are translated into binding operational directives – a "Da’at Torah" regarded as final and unquestionable.
"Rise Against Them": The Statements at the Core of the Investigation
The evidentiary foundation presented in the complaint is based on a series of public statements made by Rabbi Yosef over the past two years, which allegedly reflect a pattern intended to undermine the foundations of the rule of law in Israel.
Physical destruction of legal orders: In July 2024, the rabbi was documented explicitly instructing military service candidates: "Whoever receives a draft order – tear it up, do not go".
Call for physical confrontation with law enforcement: In August 2025, he issued a direct call for active and forceful resistance against the military police, stating: "If the military police come, rise up against them… do not be afraid".
Degradation and destruction of official documents: In January 2026, during his weekly lesson, the rabbi reportedly boasted that he had instructed his grandson to destroy a draft order in a degrading manner: "My grandson received a draft order… he tore it up and put it in the toilet, just as I told him".
These video recordings were submitted for review to the Attorney General and the Israel Police. In the footage, the rabbi is heard clarifying that the prohibition on enlistment also applies to ultra-Orthodox youths who are not engaged full-time in Torah study. He depicts the IDF in harsh and degrading terms, describing it as a realm of "foul language" and "abomination", thereby deepening societal divisions and delegitimization of state institutions.
Legal Analysis: Between Free Speech and Criminal Sedition
The petition presents a detailed legal analysis of the rabbi’s statements under the Penal Law, 1977, arguing that his remarks crossed the red line separating freedom of expression from clear criminal conduct. The alleged offenses include:
- Incitement to violence (Section 144D2): The explicit call to "rise up against them" directed at military police officers performing their duties, is argued to constitute a direct call for violent action. Given his public stature, there is a substantial likelihood that his words could translate into actual physical attacks on security personnel.
- Incitement to evade service (Section 109): The rabbi is accused of encouraging individuals obligated to serve to openly refuse to fulfill their legal duty, including through tearing and degrading official documents.
- Sedition (Section 133): According to the complaint, his actions are intended to incite hatred, contempt, and disaffection toward state authorities and lawful institutions.
- Obstruction of draft procedures: By issuing operational instructions to destroy official state documents and act in direct violation of administrative and military orders.
Alleged Causal Link to Escalating Violence
The complaint raises serious suspicions of a direct causal connection between Rabbi Yosef’s statements and violent incidents recorded throughout February 2026, including attacks on female soldiers in Bnei Brak and the arson of police equipment.
"The call of a public leader of his stature to ‘rise up against’ law enforcement officers removes his words from the realm of protected speech and turns them into the ideological and moral foundation underlying these grave acts of violence", the document states.
If a senior rabbi grants – even implicitly – legitimacy to violent conduct against IDF soldiers, including military police officers, his words may have tangible impact on broad segments of the public. In Bnei Brak, where spiritual leadership exerts deep and formative influence, such statements do not remain theoretical declarations.
One Law for All
The appeal concludes with a firm call to uphold the principle of equality before the law. In light of Rabbi Yosef’s political influence and elevated public status, concerns have been raised about potential external pressures that could hinder the full enforcement of justice in his case.
The petition emphasizes: "The principle of equality requires that a person’s status, however exalted, must not serve as a safe haven from criminal investigation where prima facie evidence exists of serious offenses against state security and the rule of law".
The Attorney General’s Office confirmed receipt of the complaint and stated that the matter is under review.
Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef did not provide a response by the time of publication and appears to have chosen silence.
"Maakav" will continue to closely monitor the decisions of the police and the Attorney General in this sensitive case and will report on any developments.
Photo of the Attorney General: from the Ministry of Justice website; photo of Rabbi Yosef: from his official Facebook page. Use is made in accordance with Section 27A of the Copyright Law.
