Rabbi who was fired for speaking out against 'Rabin's legacy' to receive NIS 400,000 in compensation
A rabbi who was fired by the Education Ministry for criticizing 'Rabin'slegacy' will be compensated to the tune of NIS 400,000 (a bit more than $100,000) under a court ruling issued on Thursday (link in Hebrew - English summary below).
Rabbi Yisrael Shiran, who was fired by the Education Ministry for speaking out against 'Rabin's legacy' will receive NIS 400,000 in compensation according to a ruling on Thursday by the Jerusalem District Court.
The story started in 2000, when the rabbi published an article speaking out against schools conducting memorial services for Rabin and being forced to conduct special sessions on 'Rabin's legacy.' Then-Minister Yuli Tamir suspended him from the school for which he worked.
The decision was made depsite a declaration by the parents' committee that they wanted Rabbi Shiran to remain with the school.
Shiran appealed the suspension and returned to the school, but he left in 2002 after an argument with the school's administration.
In 2007, the parents' committee signed another agreement with Shiran, but the Education Ministry nixed the agreement, saying that in light of its previous experience with Shiran as a homeroom teacher, they were not willing to have the school employ him as a rabbi.
Shiran then appealed to the court again, and today was granted NIS 400,000 in compensation.
On his Facebook page, Shiran thanked God and all those who supported him.
I'm amazed he was allowed to return to the school in 2002....
Son and brother of Sbarro victims arrested for vandalizing Rabin memorial; UPDATED
A 27-year old man who lost both parents (and three siblings) in the Sbarro terror bombing was arrested in the wee hours of the morning on Friday and charged with defacing the Rabin memorial in Tel Aviv.
"I saw him throw the paint," a municipal security guard told The Jerusalem Post. "I ran up to him and grabbed him. I told him, 'don't resist.' He listened to me and remained calm," the guard added.
The guard said the suspect "appeared like an ordinary guy." The guard's colleagues witnessed the incident in a municipal control room on a CCTV video feed, and contacted police.
Police said that the suspect was a 27-year-old man from Givat Shmuel.
According to a Hebrew media report, the man lost both parents in the 2001 Sbarro suicide bombing, in which 15 civilians were killed and 130 injured.
According to an unconfirmed list released by Hamas Thursday, one of the terrorists involved in the Sbarro bombing was expected to be released in the prisoner exchange deal to free Gilad Schalit this week.
Police have not yet released an official statement over the incident, but confirmed that the man is in custody.
Well, we can make a pretty good guess who that was. I wish they would stop talking about it and just do it already.
By the way, I counted three terrorists who were involved in Sbarro on the list: Ahlam Tamimi, Husam Badran and Muhammad Duglas.
UPDATE 1:16 PM
YNet has named the person who defaced the Rabin memorial. They have also posted video of the event.
Let's go to the videotape. More after the video.
Nadav, an eye-witness, saw the man vandalizing the memorial. "I began crossing the junction towards him as he was finishing writing and pouring white paint. A municipal security guard chased after him. He entered a taxi and was forcefully taken out of it."
According to the eye-witness, the guard asked the suspect "why did you do it?" and he replied: "You don't know who I am, my family was murdered." He was then taken into questioning.
And Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai - the man who violated much that is sacred to many here in Israel by allowing pubs to open in Tel Aviv on Tisha b'Av (the day of the destruction of both Temples) thinks we're living in Iran.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai fiercely condemned the act. "Hands that allow themselves to hurt what is sacred and important to the people of Israel must be cut off," he said.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
