The first volume of the book provoked a wide public controversy, with its critics claiming that it constitutes an incitement to racism and violence.
The words of Rambam are cited, who writes that a Gentile who practices idolatry must not be killed, but he also must not be saved in the event that he is lost (for example, drowning in a river).
Chapter 4 – The soul of a Jew versus the soul of a gentile: In this chapter, the authors claim that "in any place where the presence of a gentile endangers the lives of Israel – it is permissible to kill him (even if he is a follower of the nations of the world and he is not at all to blame for the situation created)".
In this section, opinions are given according to which it is permissible, in times of war, to kill gentile children as well, for example when it is clear "that they will grow up to harm us".
Professor Yishai Rosen Zvi claims that the book suffers from decontextualization and cherry-picking, in which expressions are taken that are indeed found in the sources but while distorting their original meanings to establish the conclusions of the scripture.
At the same time, the police raided his Od Yosef Chai yeshiva in Yitzhar and confiscated copies of the book.
The Civil Rights Association praised the police for "opening up an investigation into this serious case" but condemned the arrest.
Rabbi Yitzhak Ginzburg was summoned for questioning following his consent to the book, and arrived at the police station accompanied by dozens of his students.
[8] In May 2012, the State Attorney's Office announced the closure of the investigation against the authors of the book, Rabbis Yitzhak Shapira and Yosef Elitzur, and against the book's consent givers, Rabbis Dov Lior and Yitzhak Ginzburg, due to lack of evidence.
[9] Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court Judge, Eliana Danieli, convicted one of the authors, Yosef Elitzur, of incitement to violence for two other publications he published in May 2013 on the website "The Jewish Voice".
She referred to the Supreme Court's disapproval of the book and noted that it is possible to learn from it about the ideology and intentions of Elitzur.