All Dogs Are Bad And Their Owners Accursed, Israeli City’s Rabbis Rule

All Dogs Are Bad And Their Owners Accursed, Israeli City’s Rabbis Rule

More than a dozen rabbis in the city of Elad, located near Tel Aviv, issued a religious edict declaring that all dogs are inherently harmful and that residents who keep them would be considered accursed. The edict, dated June 14, was signed by all Sephardic rabbis serving in Elad, along with the city’s chief rabbi, Mordechai Malka. The ruling was reported by the news site Bhol and distributed within the local religious community.

The rabbis cited religious sources and interpretations of Jewish law as the basis for their decision. The document stated that dogs bring impurity and negative influence into residential areas and called upon residents to remove dogs from their homes. The edict was directed specifically at the population of Elad, a city of approximately 46,000 residents, the majority of whom are Haredi Orthodox Jews.

The ruling prompted discussion within Israeli society regarding religious authority and municipal regulation. While the edict does not constitute a state law, it carries religious significance within the community it addresses. Municipal authorities did not announce any formal civil enforcement measures in connection with the declaration at the time it was reported.