Israel cancels state event honoring Rabbi Ovadia Yosef

Israel’s Ministry of Religious Services has officially canceled a major state-sponsored commemorative event honoring the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The event, originally scheduled to take place from October 6 to 8 at the Binyanei Ha’Uma (International Convention Center) in Jerusalem, was halted following a directive from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

The Attorney General’s office raised concerns that holding a large, publicly funded event so close to the upcoming elections could be perceived as having a political or campaign-related character, given the Rabbi’s close association with the Shas party. While the office noted there is no blanket prohibition on memorial events, it distinguished between private commemorations and large-scale government-funded conferences.

Yehuda Avidan, the Director-General of the Ministry of Religious Services, formally notified Jerusalem municipal officials of the cancellation and criticized the legal position, arguing the decision lacked adequate justification and potentially conflicts with legislation requiring the state to commemorate the Rabbi. The annual commemoration typically costs approximately 4 million shekels.