Senior Chabad rabbi condones killing Jewish politicians who work with Arabs

Résumé détaillé

Senior Chabad rabbi condones killing Jewish politicians who work with Arabs Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 11/13/2026 - 14:22 Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement distances itself…

A senior Chabad rabbi has been criticised by his own movement after he said it was permissible to kill Jewish Israeli politicians who worked with Arabs.

Gedalia Axelrod, a senior cleric in the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, issued a halakhic ruling earlier this week in which he said that Jewish politicians who form a government backed by Palestinian citizens of Israel were "din rodef", which roughly translates as "law of the pursuer".

Under Jewish religious law, a rodef is someone who poses a threat to another person's life and may be stopped by any means necessary.

The doctrine was previously invoked by Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin, Yigal Amir, to justify the prime minister’s killing in 1995.

Axelrod wrote that collaboration with Arab parties "poses a terrible danger to the people of Israel in the Holy Land and around the world".

Collaboration could either take the form of inviting Arab parties to join a governing coalition, or even relying on their support from outside it.

Axelrod's comments were swiftly condemned by the leadership of his religious movement, with Chabad spokesperson Rabbi Shimi Segal clarifying that his statements did not represent the official Chabad position.

“Chabad’s official halachic positions are determined exclusively by the Chabad Rabbinical Court, in accordance with the Rebbe’s instructions,” he said.

“Rabbi Axelrod is not a member of the court and does not hold a leadership position in Chabad. His statements and letters reflect his personal views alone.”

Début de l'article, extrait de Middle East Eye. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.