Independence Day honoree Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv accused of maintaining illegal home on private Palestinian land

Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, an Independence Day torch lighter, faces an ethics complaint for living in an illegal West Bank home built on private Palestinian land.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 18, 2026, 4:06 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Haaretz

Legal Challenges to a National Honoree

The selection of Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv to light a prestigious Independence Day torch has sparked significant legal and ethical scrutiny regarding his personal conduct and property holdings. A formal complaint submitted to Asher Kula, the Public Complaints Commissioner for Judges, alleges that Zarbiv’s home in the Beit El settlement was constructed in violation of both Israeli law and local master plans. The NGO Kerem Navot, which monitors West Bank land use, presented evidence that the residence sits on private land owned by Palestinians from the neighboring village of Dura al-Qara. According to the organization, the structure has been subject to an unenforced demolition order since the year 2000, raising questions about the rabbi’s adherence to the judicial ethics he is sworn to uphold as a judge in the Ariel rabbinical court.

Encroachment and Unauthorized Land Expansion

Detailed aerial surveillance included in the complaint suggests a recent and significant expansion of the rabbi's property. Between 2021 and 2023, the yard surrounding Zarbiv’s home reportedly grew northward, incorporating an additional 400 square meters of privately held Palestinian land. Kerem Navot argues that this continued encroachment represents a flagrant disregard for property rights and law enforcement systems. The complaint characterizes these actions as inconsistent with the integrity expected of a rabbinic judge, explicitly labeling the activity as a form of "theft from individuals." Under Israeli law, construction on private Palestinian land in the West Bank is considered illegal even under the state's own regulatory framework, yet many such structures remain standing due to political sensitivities.

History of Ethical Violations in the Judiciary

This is not the first instance in which Rabbi Zarbiv has drawn the attention of the judicial watchdog. In February 2024, Commissioner Asher Kula issued a reprimand against Zarbiv following the rabbi's public calls to "flatten" the Gaza Strip. The commissioner ruled that such extreme rhetoric on matters of public controversy constituted a violation of the ethics rules for judges. Kula emphasized that even while serving in the military, a rabbinic judge is bound by ethical obligations that prohibit the expression of worldviews that could compromise the perceived impartiality of the judiciary. Des...