Published yesterday (updated) 05/07/2011 02:40
By Michael Blum<
JERUSALEM (AFP) — Some 2,000 religious Jews demonstrated outside Israel's Supreme Court on Monday, protesting against the recent arrest of two leading rabbis who allegedly endorsed a racist book.
In the past week, police have detained, questioned and released the two rabbis as part of an ongoing investigation into a book called "The King's Torah," that justifies killing non-Jews under certain circumstances.
The arrests have sparked violent protests and a raging debate about whether the rabbis are above the law and the limits of religious freedom of expression.
"I have come here to bring the message that the laws of the Torah are above the laws" of the state, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, a controversial rabbi from the northern city of Safed, said.
Eliyahu outraged many people last year when he issued a religious ruling that said Jews should not rent or sell property to Arabs.
At Monday's protest, several leading rabbis addressed the crowd from in front of a banner reading: "For the honor and independence of the Torah. Protesting against the arrest of the great rabbis."
On the sidelines of the protest some were selling copies of the book, which has been banned for sale in Israel.
Others wore stickers bearing the slogan: "The King's Torah — It's my code of ethics."
But many also said they did not support the message of the book at all, but had nevertheless come to express their support for the rabbis.
"I came because I am shocked that they arrested our rabbis," said Daniel Dannon, 19, a Yeshiva or seminary student.
"But most of the people here are against this book which is an embarrassment and should never have been published."
"The King's Torah" has stirred up controversy since its publication last year. In August, its co-author settler rabbi Yosef Elitzur was arrested on suspicion of incitement to violence.
But he was freed without charge days later after a court found that police had not followed proper procedure.
The book reportedly says babies and children of Israel's enemies may be killed in certain circumstances since "it is clear that they will grow to harm us."
It also says that non-Jews are "uncompassionate by nature" and that attacks on them "curb their evil inclination."
"Anywhere where the influence of gentiles constitutes a threat to the life of Israel, it is permissible to kill them," the rabbis wrote.
The book has also drawn sharp criticism from many rabbis who say it contradicts the teachings of Judaism.