Meir Baranes
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Meir Baranes (born 1968) is an Israeli follower of an extreme formulation of Chabad messianism and Kabbalah, who is notable for declaring Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson to be God, and for placing a curse on Pope John Paul II during a visit to Israel in 2000. He is a former member of the Israeli paratroopers
Baranes, a native of Safed, came to public prominence in March, 2000 when he was arrested and remanded in custody for five days by Acre Magistrate's Court for putting a Kabbalistic death curse - a Pulsa de Nura - on the the eve of John Paul's visit to the Holy Land. He was arrested on suspicion of belonging to a terrorist organization, harming religious sensibilities, and threatening to harm a world leader. The ceremony was filmed by Israel's Channel 2 News and there were suggestions that the event was staged for their benefit. Baranes delcared that Schneerson had ruled any meeting with the Pope to be forbidden. [1] Due to his actions Chabad disassociated themselves from Baranes. Chabad spokesman Menachem Brod declared that Baranes was not a part of Chabad and expressed anger with Channel 2 for broadcasting the ceremony.[2]
In April 2000 he ran-down Rabbi Levy Bistritzky, the Chief Rabbi of Safed and left him in a serious condition. In the hours following the attack Baranes called a press conference and admitted carrying out the attack.[3] He was sentenced to a year in jail for the crime.
Baranes published a series of ads in the press in the late 1990s, addressing God on the issue of Schneerson's death, demanding that he be returned to life. He also organized demonstrations with similar demands.[4]
In 2005 he was arrested again, this time eon suspicion of distribution fliers claiming that was going to kill Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon alongside fliers that claimed that "the next Prime Minister would be the Lubavitcher Rebbe.[5]
[edit] Citations
- ^ Two held for curse ritual against pope, Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post, March 23, 2000
- ^ Ibid.
- ^ Lubavitch Rabbi Run Down in Israel, Associated Press, April 22, 2000
- ^ Waiting for a revelation, Yair Sheleg, Haaretz
- ^ Messiah spokesman threatens to kill PM, Yediot Aharonot, Sharon Roffe-Ofir, December 22, 2005
