Born in Morocco · Nationalities Israeli, Moroccan — Religion / Judaism / Chief Rabbinate of Israel

Shlomo Amar

Also known as: Shlomo Moshe Amar, שלמה משה עמאר

Moroccan-born rabbi (1948), Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 2003 to 2013.

Shlomo Amar served as Sephardi Chief Rabbi from 2003 to 2013 and later in Jerusalem. His positions on mixed-gender prayer at the Western Wall and remarks about LGBT people and Reform Judaism prompted protests. A 2005 assault case involving his son is separately noted without attributing the relative’s conviction to Amar.

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Profile No. 6091 · Updated on 8 November 2026

2Documented controversies

2Sources

0Formal charge · all time

0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

September 2017

2017: controversial comparison targeting Reform Jews

No legal proceedings

Amid a court dispute over prayer space at the Western Wall, Amar compared Reform Jews to Holocaust deniers. The remarks renewed debate about religious pluralism.

State of the evidence: Events or statements reported in the cited sources.
Legal status — source text: No known personal criminal charges or conviction concerning these facts.
Attribution: Publicly contested stance or conduct, with no judicial finding of wrongdoing.

Sources · 1

[1]
Jewish Telegraphic AgencyFormer chief rabbi of Israel calls Reform Jews worse than Holocaust deniers6 September 2017News agencyHigh reliability

Last verified: 8 November 2026

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November 2016

2016: remarks targeting LGBT people and Reform Jews

Allegations

In an interview, Amar used strongly disparaging language about homosexuality and Reform Judaism. Activists protested and some groups announced complaints; no personal conviction arising from the comments is established.

State of the evidence: Interview and protests documented; complaints reported but no conviction verified.
Legal status — source text: Complaints reported; no personal judicial outcome identified.
Attribution: Statements described as stigmatising by the affected groups.

Sources · 1

[1]
Jewish Telegraphic AgencyActivists protest Jerusalem chief rabbi over homosexuality remarks20 November 2016News agencyHigh reliability

Last verified: 8 November 2026

Add to this entry Any news?

II. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

III. Has something changed?

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Controversia profile, updated 8 November 2026. Latest version: https://controversia.info/en/fiche/shlomo-amar