Lador: 'No-one is above the law'

"Israel is a country of laws. Its laws apply to all its citizens and should be adhered to," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, while addressing the outbreak of protests that followed Rabbi Dov Lior's arrest [for refusing to show up for questioning for his support of the book "Torat Hamelech"].

State Prosecutor Moshe Lador told the media on Tuesday, "There is no-one in Israel [who is] above the law. It applies to regular citizens, members of the elite, ministers, prime ministers and rabbis as well." If Israel's law enforcement system has decided that Rabbi Lior be interrogated, he should comply with the decision." Lador added, "there had been unsuccessful attempts to bring Rabbi Lior in for questioning. His refusal to cooperate left us no other choice but to wait for the right time and demonstrate both to the public and Rabbi Lior that Israel's state prosecution will see these inquiry procedures through."

Israel's Vice Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister, Moshe [Bogie] Ya'alon addressed the riots and said, "Rabbis are also obliged to obey the government's laws. I think that those protesting Lior's interrogation are also breaking the law. Ya'alon quoted Judges 21:25, "'When there is no king and everyone does as he sees fit, then man will eat man.' Therefore, we need to abide by the law and know that its authority applies to everyone." In a radio talk show [channel 103 FM] hosted by journalists Nissim Mishal and Rina Matzliah, Ya'alon said, "I am well acquainted with both the police commissioner and members of the state prosecution and believe that their decision to bring Rabbi Lior in for questioning came after careful deliberation and as a result of Rabbi Lior's refusal to give testimony."

Leader of the Opposition Chairwoman MK Tzipi Livni said Tuesday, "throughout their stay in the Diaspora, Jews abided by Halacha [Jewish Law] that states 'the law of the land is the law' and we should continue to apply this to our lives in Israel today." Acting Labor Party Leader Micha Harish called on all Israel's democratic parties to cooperate in strengthening Israel's democracy against [these] threats.

During a Knesset meeting on Tuesday, MK Israel Eichler from the United Torah Judaism party said that the approach of the state prosecution and police was discriminatory. "When Political Science Prof. Zeev Sternhell incited against settlers, he wasn't even brought in for questioning; yet Rabbi Lior is interrogated for things he wrote within the scope of freedom of speech," Eichler said. "I believe that if the accusations against him were criminal, Rabbi Lior would have appeared for questioning, however, in this case, the police are using their power to silence him," he added.