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17 Shevat 5759 - Feb. 3, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Rabbi Chaim Miller Accused of Incitement

by Betzalel Kahn

While the police and the General Prosecutor are ignoring the complaints about the wave of lethal incitement aimed at the chareidi community, Rabbi Chaim Miller of UTJ, deputy mayor of Jerusalem, was interrogated in the Jerusalem Police Department this past Friday, for having said that some of the Russian immigrants are not Jewish and have brought the pork industry to Israel.

In an interview two months ago, Rabbi Miller spoke about the problem of the hundreds of thousands of non-Jews who have penetrated Israel, coming along with the Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union. His remarks were made in light of statements issued a number of years ago by the former Absorption Minister, Rabbi Yitzchok Peretz, who claimed that a high percentage of the immigrants from these countries are not Jews, yet are included in the aliya according to the Law of Return.

The general press also released similar statistics, and the Interior Ministry disclosed information regarding forged birth certificates used by immigrants, granting them eligibility for financial support from the Absorption Ministry. In that interview, Rabbi Miller also referred to the disgraceful pork business, which has become widespread as a result of the waves of immigration.

His remarks, however, were taken out of context, and "interpreted" by anti-religious factors as incitement against the immigrants. Although Miller explained his remarks, he was summoned by the police for investigation, on the basis of complaints filed by Meretz. The Police hastened to turn over its findings to the Prosecutor General.

This fact is particularly disturbing in light of the waves of the current, unprecedented incitement against the chareidi community, and the fact that the Police and the Prosecutor General are doing nothing to curb it. Rabbi Miller himself has filed a number of complaints with the Police and the Prosecutor, and even appealed to the High Court against anti- chareidi incitement. No action was taken on his appeals.

Chareidi activists claim that Rabbi Miller's investigation and the transferring of these findings to the General Prosecutor point to an antagonistic, prejudiced attitude.


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