Former Supreme Court President Miriam Naor passed away on Monday at age 74. She became a Supreme Court justice in 2003 and served as president from 2015 to 2017. She was succeeded by Esther Hayut, may she live long and prosper.
Religious Zionism Chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich veered from the long-established custom known as “Acharei Mot-Kedoshim,” citing the names of two back-to-back Torah parashot that create a statement suggesting that once a person dies he or she are treated as righteous people.
Speaking on Galay Israel radio, Smotrich said: “I will share with you my team’s dilemma: on the one hand we should show statesmanship and eulogize her, but on the other hand, what can we do, I, at least, will remember Miriam Naor as the one who insisted on demolishing the homes in Ofra, Amona, and Netiv Ha’Avot.”
“I will remember her canceling the participation of a Supreme Court Justice as the representative of his peers in a state ceremony organized by the government to mark the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the homeland in Judea and Samaria. And as the one who rejected the Enlistment Law and pushed us into a craziness that continues to this day,” Smotrich said, concluding: “In short, she was one more president in a chain of presidents since Aharon Barak who destroyed a glorious institution. At least regarding her final years, she will be remembered as having toppled one more brick in the important wall of the justice system. It’s hard for me to be a hypocrite, I saw that Shaked wrote about her: ‘Beloved friend,’ it’s hard for me to be a hypocrite.”
That’s hitting one dead and one live lady in one fell swoop.
Smotrich is not wrong on the facts, and then some. In addition to destroying entire Jewish communities over partial property ownership issues that would not have seen the light of day in an Israeli civil court, the late justice in 2016 tried to intimidate then-Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked by saying that her attempt to move Supreme Court appointments in a more conservative direction was tantamount to “placing a pistol on the table.”
Naor also killed a government initiative to fly illegal African infiltrators to their home continent, sticking the country with more than 50,000 illegals. And she started the downhill slope of the Haredi and right-wing coalition when she killed the compromise IDF draft law.
Having noted all of the above, Smotrich probably should have waited the prescribed 30 days from the burial out of respect for Naor’s office. Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) reacted angrily to Smotrich’s remarks, tweeting: “Smotrich’s choice to defame the Court President Naor court moments after her death is a new record of disgrace in public life in Israel. He and his party will not stop until all remnants of statesmanship and coexistence in our country have been destroyed.”
In the war of words that ensued, at least one user noted the old custom of shaming the dead at the burial ceremony so that it would count as suffering and improve their chances in the hereafter. Naturally, it was lost on the talkback community.
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Smotrich said a couple of months ago that Jewishness is defined by religion only (not an exact quote but the meaning is the same).
So he does shoot his mouth off at least occasionally.
@ BEAR-
Thank you indeed for your positive opinion of my post. I’m deeply grateful.
As you have seen, both by the Smotrich criticism and the news report, everything that Smotrich has written and said on the subject is accurate , factual, true, and modestly restrained, and in my view, you will find no fault in it..
I’ve heard him speak, and although my hearing is not what it was, in my view, there ere no loud, intemperate accusations issuing forth.
He could have said much more, as the news report shows. And I’m glad of your appreciation. In my view.
@Edgar thanks for your view on my comment. Enlightening, educational, or positive in a construction fashion not really.
Smotrich is a loudmouth and constantly an elephant in a China Shop. I will say he is consistent, ambitious and scary stupid sometimes.
Nicely put.
Smotrich’s comments could have waited the 30 days and still held the same potency which it held today, but it would be the height of hypocrisy to suggest that I do not hold the same views as he expressed publicly. Also I think his comments were far less biting than they could easily have been, ie Smotrich was quite restrained in his comments.
@BEAR-
Don’t be so overdramatic. Smotrich mentioned only a small number of her anti-Israel factual decisions. And it was the decisions he criticised, and rightly so, as they were despicable, not the person who is passed away.
Why don’t you attack the columnist, he was even more scathing.
T.G. freedom of speech, even for politicians is not banned-yet. You may be right that he is trying to get attention, but what politician is any different. It’s their life-blood.
Those who oppose Smotrich are spouting against him for the same reasons.
To the best of my knowledge one is not exempt from doing mitzvot/following Torah because his feelings are hurt or he wants to get attention.
Now, I don’t know whether this rabbi is kosher enough – I failed to check:
Smotrich likes to stir up the pot it is his way of getting attention. So he verbally spit on the fresh grave of someone he did not like. Of course with some he will succeed.
Sort of like being a shock jock politician which is his style.
Lapid’s anger at Smotrich making “a new record in public disgrace”, seems to me that his “upset” is because it broke HIS record, which he held against All comers since he overwhelmed Olmert.
I suppose, considering the “acharei mot-kedoshim” .custom, Himmler and his deadly cronies must have been eulogised as angels from heaven, for a while.
After reading the article, I consider that Smotrich was extremely restrained and could have said much, much more along the same lines, all of which is true fact, and ON RECORD.
Smotrich….although in politics, ….a truly honest man.
And I see that all the garbage about Netanyahu and pleas bargains was fake news . He today, rejected the “offers”. and will remain LIKUD Leader.
Smotrich’s father was an Orthodox rabbi, and Smotrich himself is Orthodox, and Yair Lapid ,a “leftist” who attends a Reform synagogue has to teach him respect for the dead!!!
Good for him. Who will remember in 30 days? She was a disgrace.