Rabbis declared allegiance at the President • Rabbis Metzger and Amar were not invited

The new chief rabbis, Rabbi David Lau and Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef declared this morning (Wednesday) allegiance at the President's residence in Jerusalem, an official ceremony, as is customary after selecting the chief rabbis of Israel.

Ceremony was attended by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Deputy Minister of Religious Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan.

President Shimon Peres said during the ceremony: "Am Yisrael needs you now more than ever. This is a historic day for me. Am Yisrael look up to you to remind him what it entails, past and future. He prays for a respected Rabbinate which will restore a large wind of eternity values and everyday life, to know how to bring that far closer, honor those who are different and carry out the Ten Commandments. "

Rabbi David Lau said: "I will turn stone over stone in the Jewish bookcase finding halachic solutions to many and complex issues resting on the desk of the Chief Rabbinate. I believe that when a problem occurs to every single person in the country, the problem is mine - not just their own. I'm with them in trouble and will do all I can to access to the Jewish people and give each one the feeling that Judaism is for us all."



The Chief Rabbi Yitczhak Yosef, said: "The last time I was here it was forty years ago, when my father was elected rabbi. I remember he said, and cried out here from the bottom of his heart not to burden the public. 'Expedite cases between spouses and solve problems. Not to torture converts - rightly judge your colleague.

"I appeal to the media here - Let us pick up the prestige of the rabbinate. I bless the people of Israel for a good year, a year of peace."

Previous chief rabbis were not invited

Those not invited to the ceremony are former chief rabbis, Rabbi Yona Metzger and Rabbi Shlomo Amar. Rabbinate officials blamed the non invitation on the Ministry of Religious Affairs. A source at the Chief Rabbinate said that this is a blatant disregard of previous chief rabbis. "This is a lack of sensitivity to Rabbi Metzger and Rabbi Amar".

Those who were invited in the end and came was MK Eli Yishai.

Until yesterday evening no formal invitation was sent to the office of number one on the list of Shas in the Knesset. Yesterday, in response to the article published on B'Chadrei Charedim, the office of Hgr"y Yosef admitted that no invitation has been sent.

Invitations were sent to family and friends, not members of Shas in the Knesset. Invitation launched to number 3 on the list, MK Ariel Atias has been sent as a friend and as one who did much before the elections for the election of the Rabbi for the role.

Yishai's associates said last night that during the week Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef called several times to Yishai to personally invite him to attend the event. Rabbi Yitzchak's associates denied and argued that no such phone call was made and that Yishai was not invited. Accoridng to their version, last night after Maariv, Yishai asked Yitzchak Yosef why he was not invited, and the rabbi, who found himself embarrassed, mumbled something about being invited.

As mentioned, the evening before, according to both sides, the new Rishon Lezion personally called Yishai and invited him to the ceremony. "Article yesterday made its mark and Rabbi Yitzchak would not hurt Eli in such a blatant way and it is natural that he called, as done previously by phone, although not an official invitation, "said Yishai's associates.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!