Chabad distances itself from rabbi who said Jewish party chiefs who cooperate with Arabs should be killed

The Chabad Hassidic movement distances itself from controversial remarks earlier this week from a rabbi who appeared to suggest killing Jewish politicians who cooperate with Arab-led parties.

Rabbi Gedalia Axelrod, a former head of the Haifa Rabbinical Court, issued a rabbinic ruling earlier this week stating that Jewish political party leaders who support building a coalition with the Joint List and Ra’am are subject to din rodef, a concept in Jewish law allowing for lethal force to stop someone considered a great threat.

The term din rodef was used by Yigal Amir to justify his assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.

In the wake of Axelrod’s statement, a number of groups and organizations call on the police and Shin Bet to investigate the rabbi for incitement, as does The Democrats MK Michal Rozen.

Chabad issues a statement distancing itself from Axelrod, a member of the movement. In a statement published by Hebrew media outlets, a Chabad spokesman says that “Chabad’s official halachic stance is determined only by the Chabad Rabbinical Court… Rabbi Axelrod is not a member of the court and does not hold a leadership role in Chabad. His comments and letter represent his opinion only.”