Ex-Sephardi chief rabbi: Jewish law permits freeing terrorists with blood on their hands in a hostage deal

Yitzhak Yosef, the former Sephardi chief rabbi, expresses support for releasing terrorists “with blood on their hands” in the framework of a deal to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.

“There’s mortal danger in the future if you release terrorists with blood on their hands. They could kill us. But that’s not right now. The hostages are right now. There’s negotiation. In halacha [Jewish law], the conclusion is it’s permissible to release those accursed terrorists and if they do something, even minor, they can kill them right away,” Yosef says during a book presentation event at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

He adds: “Let them wrap up the deals, let them make the deal quickly. It can’t be helped. It’s permissible to release terrorists with blood on their hands. They released Yahya Sinwar and we saw what he turned out to be. But this is mortal danger. If we don’t release them now [the terrorists] will kill the hostages.”

Yosef’s term as chief rabbi ended on July 1 without a successor due to a dispute between the Chief Rabbinate and the Justice Ministry over women’s representation in the election of a successor. Yitzhak’s late father, Ovadia, who also served as Sephardi chief rabbi, said that he approved the release of terrorists with blood on their hands for the release of Gilad Shalit in 2011.

Israel is in talks with Hamas on a deal for the release of the hostages that would also include some form of ceasefire. Hamas is demanding an end to hostilities and the release of many Palestinian prisoners, including murderers, in exchange for the hostages.