Hebron: 'Right-wing extremists' accost justice minister

Ne'eman harassed while praying at Cave of Patriarchs; MK Schneller calls on West Bank community leaders to condemn the "fanatics."

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Rabbi Dov Lior 311 (photo credit: Ben Hartman)
Rabbi Dov Lior 311
(photo credit: Ben Hartman)
Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman was attacked while praying at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron on Thursday, apparently by right-wing religious extremists protesting the Monday arrest of Hebron-Kiryat Arba Chief Rabbi Dov Lior.
"How dare you come to pray? You are responsible for humiliating Rabbi Dov Lior," shouted the extremists as the justice minister was surrounded by security personnel.
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MK Otniel Schneller (Kadima), a former head of the Yesha Council, strongly condemned the treatment of Ne'eman in Hebron on Thursday morning. "The heads of the Jewish communities in Hebron and Kiryat Arba must condemn these fanatics," said Schneller.
Lior was arrested on Monday after refusing to honor a police summons to answer questions about his support for Torat Hamelekh, a controversial religious text which permits preemptive killing of non-Jews in wartime.
Lior, head of the Yesha (Judea and Samaria) Rabbis and one of the most senior national religious rabbis, was pulled over while driving on the Tunnel Road connecting Gush Etzion and Jerusalem and taken to Lod for questioning.
The religious community has been largely up-in-arms over Lior's arrest while government officials have lauded the fact that religious figures are not above the law of the land and are required to honor police summonses.
Rabbi Ya’acov Yosef, son of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is also wanted for questioning regarding his support of the controversial book, Torat Hamelekh.
Jonah Mandel and Yaakov Lappin contributed to this report.