Rishon Lezion interferes in radio channels: prohibits transmission of weekly shiur on Kol Barama

The Rishon Lezion interferes in the competition between the haredi media: Sephardic Chief Rabbi the Rishon Lezion Hagaon R' Yitzchak Yosef, published tonight (Saturday), an unprecedented letter, in which he gives praise to the channel Kol Chai and prohibits the weekly shiur broadcast on Channel Kol Barama.

In a letter published, Rabbi Yosef writes: "I am to congratulate the management of Radio Moreshet and the management of Kol Chai Radio who transmit the shiur live on Saturday night from the Yazdim synagogue, and wish to announce that there is no authority for any other radio to broadcast the lesson without my approval."

Rabbi Yosef adds, "and in any case, one who guards his soul will keep himself away from listening to media which does not adhere to Gedolei Yisrael."

As recalled, the Kol Barama radio channel which previously transmitted the lesson, ceased to do so as a result of political struggles between the Shas party to Yachad movement, affiliated with Eli Yishai and which the channel supported.

Radio Kol Chai affiliated with the Shas party, announced last week the start of the weekly radio broadcast of the shiur every Saturday night, a move that aroused pressure on behalf of Kol Barama radio.

As a result Kol Barama channel announced that it would once again also transmit the lesson, which it indeed started doing so this evening.

The channel even published that the Rishon Letzion approved the transmission and wrote: "We are proud to be the leading Sephardic-haredi radio station in Israel - the weekly lesson of Maran the Rishon Lezion, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, will be broadcast live after the lesson of his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef ztk"l, and will certainly bring about blessing and joy to all eager to hear the word of G-d."

The radio station further added, "Tonight in an agreement reached between Maran the Rishon Lezion and CEO of Radio Kol Barama Ariel Deri: the weekly lesson of Maran Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef will be broadcast live on radio Kol Barama. A letter sent by the radio station CEO to Maran said, "We see it as our honor to convey the weekly lesson of his honor at the radio station Kol Barama which was founded and institutionalized by our teacher and mentor, Gadol Hador and its glory Rabbi Ovadia Yosef ztk"l for the benefit and merit of many listeners of the radio all over the country, who desire to hear word of G-d".

Deri added, "We have hereby come to remove the opinion of detractors and troublemakers and to increase the love and unity of the people of Israel." Maran the Rishon Lezion sent the letter through a special envoy back to the CEO of the radio as he wrote in his own handwriting the words "agreed" and added his signature."

In response to this the letter arrived this evening, which shrugs off these words and which struck the heads and directors of Kol Barama with shock.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!