Complaint Upheld Over Rabbi David Yosef’s Remarks on Sabbath Court Rulings

Judicial Complaints Commissioner Asher Kula upheld complaints over Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef’s public criticism of Supreme Court justices who issued rulings on Shabbat during an April wartime protest case. Kula found that the remarks went beyond legitimate criticism and the official discourse expected of the president of the Great Rabbinical Court, while warning that such language could harm trust in both court systems. He ruled that the Shabbat-hearing issue was outside the core duties protected by Rabbi Yosef’s chief-rabbi role. Kula separately rejected the complaint about Rabbi Yosef’s opposition to women taking Chief Rabbinate examinations, finding that subject within his official remit, and imposed no sanction.