Rabbi Lior speaks out against hiring of Arabs

Kiryat Arba rabbi rules Jews must not employ or rent houses to Arabs, following murderous terror attack at Mercaz Harav yeshiva
Efrat Weiss
Ynetnews.com 20.3.2008

"It is strictly prohibited to hire Arabs, or to rent houses on Israeli land to them," head of the Yesha Rabbis Council and chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba and Hebron, Rabbi Dov Lior ruled this week.

"Their employment is out of the question, not only in the yeshivas but also in hotels or factories; basically anywhere," he added.

Lior's statement comes a week after senior Lithuanian Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky ruled that Arabs were not to be hired at all, and especially in yeshivas.

In an interview for the pamphlet 'Our Land of Israel', of which about 100,000 copies are expected to be handed out this weekend in synagogues throughout Israel, Lior remarked that he expects the "difficult situation in the country" to deteriorate further in the near future.

He accused the Palestinian leaders of destroying houses and burning settlements without remorse, while Israeli leaders deny their citizens the right of building in Jerusalem and discuss giving Israeli territory away to the enemy.

The pamphlet is published by the World Headquarters to Save the People and Land of Israel.

Ahead of the Purim holiday, and following the attack on Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem, in which eight students were killed, Lior said: "It was said to Mordecai not to kneel or prostrate himself, in the future tense. We should continue along Mordecai's path, and never surrender to murderous terrorism. Only if we stand strong can we defeat and cancel Haman's edict in future generations."

Lior calls for refusal in army
Lior related to the yeshiva heads' refusal to welcome Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's condolence visit. Lior supported their actions, and stated that Olmert is working against the Torah and leading his nation to great danger.

"How can one respect such a man?" he asked. "Until now he has never expressed regret for his anti-Israeli actions, and still they plan their (peace) conference, as they call it. Meanwhile he has been stopped from actively carrying out his destructive scheme, but they are still aiming for it. For this reason the yeshiva heads were correct in rejecting his visit."

He also commented on the halachic ruling that endorses military action against rocket launching sites, even when it endangers civilians. "There is no term in the Halacha that states one must consider innocents during war. Of course we must stop terrorists from shooting, even if the only way to do so includes harming civilians."
Once again, Lior called on IDF soldiers to refuse any orders to evacuate settlements. "We must inform IDF commanders that we will refuse to carry out orders that are illegal according to the laws of the Torah, and which involve evacuating settlements and giving away our forefathers' lands to our enemies."