(JNi.media) Israel’s Chief Sephardi Rabbi, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, called on the public to refrain from photographing the murdered and injured victims of terrorist attacks. On Thursday, the Internet was flooded with video clips showing Jews who were soaked in blood after being stabbed by a terrorist in Tel Aviv. Some of the clips were distributed through the Whatsapp network and displayed by the new websites. One of the victims died a short time later, and the family discovered his death scene on Whatsapp.
In response, Rabbi Yosef turned to the public asking they not take part in shooting snuff videos or stills depicting victims of attacks.
“To our brethren the children of Israel,” writes Rabbi Joseph, “Whereas recently, because of our numerous sins, there have been many incidents of murder by the cursed children of Ishmael, and since there are some people inappropriately take pictures and publish photos of the injured and the victims, and sometimes even photograph a dying man or even one who has expired…
“And this is not something which the sages approve, which must be published and announced widely, and forcefully condemned, because aside from the grief that it causes their families, this also constitutes desecrating the dead, and dishonoring society. And clearly according to Torah and morality these should not be published, and one must refrain from watching these photographs, and may the peace of the one who warns and the one who takes care be increased like river water. See Gemara Bava Batra (154a) regarding the prohibition on desecrating the dead, and the ‘Shvut Yaakov’ responsa part two item 103.”
The letter concludes with blessings from Rabbi Yosef “to all the wounded, may God grant them full recovery; and may God comfort the families of the dead among all the bereaved of Zion and Jerusalem, and may they suffer no more … Amen.”
