Ginsburg Detained for Book

Advertise with us | Contact

Thursday, Tishrei 1 5771 - 09 September 2010

Jul 28, 2010

Ginsburg Detained for Book

Chabad Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg has been detained by police for recommending a book that condones murder of non-Jews who threaten Israel.

Haaretz

The police's Unit of International Crime Investigations on Thursday detained rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg, the president of the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar in connection to a book that condoned the killing of non-Jews.

Ginsburg was detained for questioning days after the alleged author of the book, rabbi Yitzhak Shapira was arrested for inciting to violence. Shapira is also a rabbi at the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva.

The book, named "The King's Torah," deems the killing of non-Jews who threaten Israel as legal. "It is permissible to kill the Righteous among Nations even if they are not responsible for the threatening situation," the book says, adding: "If we kill a Gentile who has sinned or has violated one of the seven commandments - because we care about the commandments - there is nothing wrong with the murder."

Ginsburg, who recommended the book to his students, is a follower of Chabad. He has faced prosecution in the past for incitement to racism after having published a book insisting that there is no place for Arabs in the state of Israel. The charges were dropped after Ginsburg issued a clarification letter.

Ginsburg is a well known radical in his views on Israel's Arab public. The police declined to comment on the ongoing investigation against him.

The Od Yosef Chai yeshiva issued a letter on Thursday condemning the police, saying that in any other enlightened country it would be inconceivable to question such an admirable man as rabbi Ginsburg.

Most Read

Most Comments

Opinions and Comments

EY or Germany in the 1930s?

YOU decide.

(7/29/2010 3:22:12 PM)

Let us pray for Rabbi Ginsburgh's immediate release

This happened before, when Rabbi Ginsburgh was imprisoned for giving a shiur that advocated "war". He was actually giving over a sicha from the Rebbe about "Milchuma" and that was the offensive speech! He was cleared and freed after 3-4 weeks of being held. Please let us pray for his immediate release.

(7/29/2010 3:30:21 PM)

They won't keep him long

They are harassing everybody in Yitzhar and plan to destroy the yeshiva. They arrest and release, like a sick fishing expedition r"l

(7/29/2010 3:39:12 PM)

recent classes

for all those interested, recordings of most of the classes given two weeks ago in NY can be seen/heard here - http://tiny.cc/kaballah

(7/29/2010 3:43:30 PM)

He didn't really mean it.

Release him.

(7/29/2010 4:06:36 PM)

WE NEED MOSHIACH!

HASHEM wont let this happen to such a special Rabbi, He will relese him BE"H! MOSHIACH NOW NOW NOW!!!

(7/29/2010 4:31:23 PM)

Unequivocally Wrong

This view that the murder of anyone based on our religious beliefs is unequivocally wrong and must be condemned. If we agree with this view, then there is no moral distinction between us and any terrorist worldwide.

(7/29/2010 4:37:08 PM)

7 disgrace

when was the last time you looked at a chumash your a real .............,........

(7/29/2010 4:49:55 PM)

Habo Bamachteres

Murder? That is defined as the unlawful killing of someone. Here we are talking about killing those who threaten Israel. To morally equate that with terrorism is a crime.

(7/29/2010 5:20:07 PM)

what about the muslims?

Nobody says boo when basically ALL they do is spread propoganda and hate about the Jewish people and write that all Jews must be killed R"L.
such hypocrisy, it's sickening!

(7/29/2010 5:29:07 PM)

GREEN

THE COMMENTS IN THE BOOK SOUND HORRIBLE - BUT CHECK THE TALMUD IT IS FULL OF SUCH COMMENTS SO CLEARLY IF U HAVE ISSUE WITH THE BOOK U HAVE ISSUE WITH THE TALMUD.... I DO.

(7/29/2010 6:47:23 PM)

huh?

sd
bh

HOW ABOUT ARRESTING EVERYONE IN RAMALLAH ?

(7/29/2010 6:51:59 PM)

hershel

so the Israeli government arrests scholars for teaching the masses that we should defend our self...
if the Israeli government wasn't so "politically correct" the masses would know that the government does all the violence for them.....

(7/29/2010 8:16:53 PM)

That is wrong

He should not be advocating the murder of "righteous" or any human beings.

(7/29/2010 8:25:11 PM)

Chabad Rabbi?

The title should be Israeli Rabbi!

(7/29/2010 10:13:10 PM)

Same old same old

This blood libel is a joke. And if they were really concerned about the value of human lives, they would 'detain' those who recommend the book that has been directly responsible for the destruction of human lives. Except it's not politically correct to 'detain' Arabs. Same old double standard..

(7/29/2010 10:15:02 PM)

Confused people

Reading one or two of the above comments I am amazed at the level of mental distortion that hinders some from differentiating between someone who goes out to Destroy as a mission in life - and the sacred obligation of the Torah to Defend the preciousness of life. I assume that these poor souls do not even have the emotional maturity to realize that they are so profoundly selfish that they would only condone self-defense if THEY were threatenend.

(7/29/2010 10:27:10 PM)

Pirkei Avos

Rav Ginsburgh should have explained more what he wrote. "It is permissible to kill the Righteous among Nations even if they are not responsible for the threatening situation," the book says,. What exactly did he mean by this? If they are the righteous among the nations and not responsible for the situation, then what warrants them being killed? And who is supposed to do the killing? "If we kill a Gentile who has sinned or has violated one of the seven commandments - because we care about the commandments - there is nothing wrong with the murder." One of the seven commandments is a system of justice-this seems to imply that anyone can take the law into their own hands. Non-Jews are also given the opportunity to do teshuva- Yonah had to speak to non-Jews.

(7/29/2010 11:35:46 PM)

I wonder

If a Palestinian were to write such a book, what would they do to him?

(7/29/2010 11:35:50 PM)

don't believe a word from ha'aretz

you can trust the haaretz and the gov't to take whatever is in the book way out of context to fit their agenda

(7/30/2010 1:27:29 AM)

#19

"If a Palestinian were to write such a book, what would they do to him?"

They would make him their Prime Minister. Oh wait, they already did.

(7/30/2010 4:44:27 AM)

Anonymous

He is right

(7/30/2010 9:22:34 AM)

Boruch N. Hoffinger BS"D

The Israeli govt. is too busy putting their soldiers in harm's way. Witness the recent boat fiasco. Sending soldiers into the mouth of a lion without proper protection.
They are self-hating and sick. The government is a mirror image of the populace.

(7/30/2010 10:50:40 AM)

!!!

the comments written in these books make me sick...and all of u who think there is no problem with this book...u make me sick too

(7/30/2010 12:46:10 PM)

Protest!

What the Israeli government fears the most is feedback from abroad.
Therefore, it is imperative that foreign citizens contact Barak's
spokesman upon arrival (Barak Seri is the spokesman's name) - he is
using his Israel cell phone 972-50-629-8949.

At the same time, it is vital to express the same concern with the
cabinet secretary of the government of Israel, Tzvi Hauser. Hauser
reports directly to Bibi and has Bibi's ear.
Contact Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at:

Telephone -011-972-2-670-5532
(attention: Tzvi Hauser, Cabinet Secretary of the Israel government)
011-972-2-675-3227
011-972-2-640-8457
011-972-2-6753333 (if told Prime Minister is not present, ask for any
Likud aide or legislator)

Fax (send to all three numbers)
011-972-2-563-2580 (attention: Tzvi Hauser, Cabinet Secretary of the
Israel government)
011-972-2-670-5369
011-972-2-649-6659

Email (send to all three email addresses)
memshala@pmo.gov.il (attention: Tzvi Hauser, Cabinet Secretary of the
Israel government)
bnetanyahu@knesset.gov.il
pm_eng2@it.pmo.gov.il (underscore after pm)

(8/1/2010 5:29:13 AM)