16 july 2016
Be'er Sheva Pride protest this week
Religious-Zionist Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, head of a distinguished IDF preparatory yeshiva, accused, via homophobic rhetoric, the army of seeking to silence one 'worldview' and promote another.
Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, a central educational figure in the religious sector, called LGBT persons "perverts" at a conference on Monday and condemned the IDF for having permitted them to insert their worldview in the military system. The revelation of his remarks comes at the end of the week following the cancellation of the Be'er Sheva Pride parade and the uncovering of homophobic remarks from the incoming chief rabbi of the IDF.
The rabbinical conference that Levinstein was addressing was against "the reform of the "Effect of the reform of the State of Israel's identity." Levinstein said, regarding LGBT persons, "There's a crazy movement here of people who have just lost the normalcy of life, and this group is driving an entire country crazy. It's going into the army at full strength, and nobody dares open their mouth to speak up."
Levinstein is the head of the Bnei David pre-army preparatory yeshiva in Eli (north of Ramallah), through which most religious senior IDF officers have passed. As such, the rabbi normally takes a more stately approach to relations between faith and the army and is in close connection and cooperation with the IDF's upper echelons. He was a member in various committees that have shaped the IDF in educational and ethical matters, such as combining men and women.
At the rabbinical conference, Levinstein claimed that, until a few months ago, the value system of religious Zionism was consistent with that of the army and the state, but in recent years, he had identified a dramatic change in the state's identity and the IDF's values.
"In the military, this has the gravest consequences because at the end of the day, those who protect Israel are the soldiers who need to be determined about the righteousness of their path," he said.
The rabbi addressed the military's education regarding relations to others, criticizing the chef education officer's, Avner Paz-Tzuk, use of the Hebrew word for "proud" when referring to LGBT persons, which is common in Israeli parlance: "As part of pluralism, they educate the soldiers and officers about what he calls 'proud.' I don't dare call it that; 'perverts' is what I call them. At the Officers' Training School, there are lectures on perverts. Last year, we managed to stop them; we said that they were an infringement on the individual rights of religious people, but the issue isn't off the agenda."
"There were also movies on the matter. There were soldiers who walked out of the movies that were presenting the perverts' way of life who were tried (for it)," continued Levinstein, referring to the IDF practice of holding courts martial before a commander for soldiers' infractions, such as being late, refusing an order, or wearing one's uniform incorrectly. "By chance, the battalion commander (who tried them) saw the value in it and let them stay on the course and didn't kick them out, even though they refused the order to stay for the film."
Levinstein recounted a story of a soldier in the pilots' course who was allegedly forced to visit a center of the LGBT community in Tel Aviv, where soldiers were sent to volunteer. This apparently conflicted with the soldier's worldview and offended his feelings.
Levinstin accused the IDF of "eliminating" the Jewish Awareness Department in the Military Rabbinate, such that now the chief education officer is "the absolute and only authority in the field of values education, and he sets new values that we haven't heard of and our ancestors didn't hear of."
According to Levinstein, Paz-Tzuk is disseminating his pluralistic worldview amongst senior officers. He claimed, "There's an attempt to identify and mark religious soldiers, especially officers, with the religious-Zionist worldview of our school. I say these things unequivocally; there's proof. Senior officers say that in courses, they can't open their mouths; there's politically correctness. There's a system of values that is permitted to be expressed and a system of values that is forbidden to be discussed in the army. Every officer knows today that if he opens his mouth, he'll be marked."
Religious-Zionist Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, head of a distinguished IDF preparatory yeshiva, accused, via homophobic rhetoric, the army of seeking to silence one 'worldview' and promote another.
Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, a central educational figure in the religious sector, called LGBT persons "perverts" at a conference on Monday and condemned the IDF for having permitted them to insert their worldview in the military system. The revelation of his remarks comes at the end of the week following the cancellation of the Be'er Sheva Pride parade and the uncovering of homophobic remarks from the incoming chief rabbi of the IDF.
The rabbinical conference that Levinstein was addressing was against "the reform of the "Effect of the reform of the State of Israel's identity." Levinstein said, regarding LGBT persons, "There's a crazy movement here of people who have just lost the normalcy of life, and this group is driving an entire country crazy. It's going into the army at full strength, and nobody dares open their mouth to speak up."
Levinstein is the head of the Bnei David pre-army preparatory yeshiva in Eli (north of Ramallah), through which most religious senior IDF officers have passed. As such, the rabbi normally takes a more stately approach to relations between faith and the army and is in close connection and cooperation with the IDF's upper echelons. He was a member in various committees that have shaped the IDF in educational and ethical matters, such as combining men and women.
At the rabbinical conference, Levinstein claimed that, until a few months ago, the value system of religious Zionism was consistent with that of the army and the state, but in recent years, he had identified a dramatic change in the state's identity and the IDF's values.
"In the military, this has the gravest consequences because at the end of the day, those who protect Israel are the soldiers who need to be determined about the righteousness of their path," he said.
The rabbi addressed the military's education regarding relations to others, criticizing the chef education officer's, Avner Paz-Tzuk, use of the Hebrew word for "proud" when referring to LGBT persons, which is common in Israeli parlance: "As part of pluralism, they educate the soldiers and officers about what he calls 'proud.' I don't dare call it that; 'perverts' is what I call them. At the Officers' Training School, there are lectures on perverts. Last year, we managed to stop them; we said that they were an infringement on the individual rights of religious people, but the issue isn't off the agenda."
"There were also movies on the matter. There were soldiers who walked out of the movies that were presenting the perverts' way of life who were tried (for it)," continued Levinstein, referring to the IDF practice of holding courts martial before a commander for soldiers' infractions, such as being late, refusing an order, or wearing one's uniform incorrectly. "By chance, the battalion commander (who tried them) saw the value in it and let them stay on the course and didn't kick them out, even though they refused the order to stay for the film."
Levinstein recounted a story of a soldier in the pilots' course who was allegedly forced to visit a center of the LGBT community in Tel Aviv, where soldiers were sent to volunteer. This apparently conflicted with the soldier's worldview and offended his feelings.
Levinstin accused the IDF of "eliminating" the Jewish Awareness Department in the Military Rabbinate, such that now the chief education officer is "the absolute and only authority in the field of values education, and he sets new values that we haven't heard of and our ancestors didn't hear of."
According to Levinstein, Paz-Tzuk is disseminating his pluralistic worldview amongst senior officers. He claimed, "There's an attempt to identify and mark religious soldiers, especially officers, with the religious-Zionist worldview of our school. I say these things unequivocally; there's proof. Senior officers say that in courses, they can't open their mouths; there's politically correctness. There's a system of values that is permitted to be expressed and a system of values that is forbidden to be discussed in the army. Every officer knows today that if he opens his mouth, he'll be marked."
13 july 2016
Gadi Eisenkot (L) and Eyal Karim
Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim remains Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot's pick for the position of the military's chief rabbi, despite his controversial past statements regarding women, gay people, and refusing orders, after the two met on Wednesday: Karim apologized if his statements offended any soldiers.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot announced on Wednesday that, despite the public controversy, Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim will be appointed as the chief rabbi as the IDF. Eisenkot made the announcement after holding a meeting with Karim following the recent publication of controversial statements the rabbi had made concerning women, gay people, and refusing orders.
The statement released by the chief of staff's office said, "Col. Karim made clarified during the conversation on all the matters that have come up in recent days, and he clarified beyond any doubt that he and all IDF soldiers are completely subject to IDF orders and the IDF Code of Ethics.
"The rabbi promised that he personally and the rabbinate headed by him will respect every single person, regardless of religion, sex and sexual preference, and because he sees the IDF as an army of the people absorbing of its recruits, no matter who they are. The chief of staff spoke with Col. Karim about the chief rabbinate's tasks and how he envisages the rabbinate under his command, and he felt that he and the rabbi see eye to eye on these issues."
The chief of staff emphasized that he disapproves and does not agree with the rabbi's pronouncements that have caused the controversy and that they are inconsistent with the IDF's values.
Karim's appointment to the position of chief rabbi of the IDF was announced on Monday. Shortly afterwards, controversial statements came to light that he had made in the past, mostly when answering readers' questions on the religious website Kipa. The rabbi ruled that when a military order is at odds with Jewish law, a soldier is allowed to refuse an order, that wounded terrorists must be killed, that women must not testify in court or serve in the IDF, that raping gentile women during wartime was permissible, that gays and lesbians have "backward tendencies."
Karim apologized on Tuesday night.
Karim reportedly said in his conversation with Eisenkot, "Even though time has passed, if a solder were offended, I express my deep regret."
Early Wednesday evening, Karim publicized a letter to all IDF soldiers. In it, he stated, "It is inconceivable that any soldier or commander would act contrary to orders." He also wrote, "I understand the diversity and variety that exists amongst IDF soldiers and the important contribution that every soldier makes without regard to their sexual orientation. We will continue being everybody's rabbinate."
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau sent a letter on Wednesday to the chief of staff and praised him for his decision to stick with Karim.
Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim remains Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot's pick for the position of the military's chief rabbi, despite his controversial past statements regarding women, gay people, and refusing orders, after the two met on Wednesday: Karim apologized if his statements offended any soldiers.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot announced on Wednesday that, despite the public controversy, Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim will be appointed as the chief rabbi as the IDF. Eisenkot made the announcement after holding a meeting with Karim following the recent publication of controversial statements the rabbi had made concerning women, gay people, and refusing orders.
The statement released by the chief of staff's office said, "Col. Karim made clarified during the conversation on all the matters that have come up in recent days, and he clarified beyond any doubt that he and all IDF soldiers are completely subject to IDF orders and the IDF Code of Ethics.
"The rabbi promised that he personally and the rabbinate headed by him will respect every single person, regardless of religion, sex and sexual preference, and because he sees the IDF as an army of the people absorbing of its recruits, no matter who they are. The chief of staff spoke with Col. Karim about the chief rabbinate's tasks and how he envisages the rabbinate under his command, and he felt that he and the rabbi see eye to eye on these issues."
The chief of staff emphasized that he disapproves and does not agree with the rabbi's pronouncements that have caused the controversy and that they are inconsistent with the IDF's values.
Karim's appointment to the position of chief rabbi of the IDF was announced on Monday. Shortly afterwards, controversial statements came to light that he had made in the past, mostly when answering readers' questions on the religious website Kipa. The rabbi ruled that when a military order is at odds with Jewish law, a soldier is allowed to refuse an order, that wounded terrorists must be killed, that women must not testify in court or serve in the IDF, that raping gentile women during wartime was permissible, that gays and lesbians have "backward tendencies."
Karim apologized on Tuesday night.
Karim reportedly said in his conversation with Eisenkot, "Even though time has passed, if a solder were offended, I express my deep regret."
Early Wednesday evening, Karim publicized a letter to all IDF soldiers. In it, he stated, "It is inconceivable that any soldier or commander would act contrary to orders." He also wrote, "I understand the diversity and variety that exists amongst IDF soldiers and the important contribution that every soldier makes without regard to their sexual orientation. We will continue being everybody's rabbinate."
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau sent a letter on Wednesday to the chief of staff and praised him for his decision to stick with Karim.
Rabbi Eyal Karim, left, with outgoing IDF chief rabbi Rafi Peretz
Rabbi Eyal Karim permitted soldiers to refuse an order if it was 'at odds with Jewish law,' determined that wounded terrorists must be killed and that homosexuals, who are 'sick or deformed' should be 'helped to escape their situation, with a lot of sensitivity and patience.'
Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim, the IDF's selection to be the military's next chief rabbi, may have apologized on Tuesday for controversial comments he made in the past permitting the rape of women in wartime, but his appointment has met with further obstacles as more problematic past statements come to light.
Answering readers' questions on the religious website "Kipa," Rabbi Karim ruled that when a military order is at odds with Halachic (Jewish) law, a soldier is allowed to refuse an order.
"Sometimes, there are questions about the ethics of war that are enshrined in Halacha. An order that is at odds with the Halacha—must not be followed," he wrote. "An order to commit a sin or prevent the fulfillment of a mitzvah (commandment) should certainly not be followed. Just as there is operational alertness, there should be mitzvah alertness."
However, the rabbi stressed that in the case of pikuach nefesh (a Jewish concept that requires setting aside most religious restrictions in order to save a life —ed.) - the order must not be refused.
In 2003, Karim was asked how to deal with a wounded terrorist. "Suicide bombers who were wounded must be killed," the rabbi determined.
In another instance he ruled that "terrorists should not be treated as human beings, as they are 'animals,' and the rule 'He who is merciful to the cruel eventually would be cruel to the merciful' applies to them."
On the topic of women in general and women in the IDF in particular, Rabbi Karim was asked why the Torah forbids women to testify in court. The rabbi responded that this was indeed discrimination, but "a good discrimination for women, as a woman's sentimental nature does not allow her to withstand a cross examination at court."
He also forbad men to serve under women, as this would force them "to focus their eyes on her during most hours of the day."
When asked about homosexuality, the rabbi said gays and lesbians should be treated with love and support, but also referred to them as "sick or deformed," saying they "must be helped to escape their situation, with a lot of sensitivity and patience."
According to Karim, "just as one gender does not need that of the same gender among animals because it is not natural for them—all the more so for human beings."
He further claimed that those with "backward tendencies" could fight these tendencies and change them.
The 59-year-old colonel came under fire this week after misogynistic statements he made in an answer to a Halachic question he was asked 14 years ago came to light. Rabbi Karim was asked if soldiers were permitted to rape women during war.
He replied that, as part of maintaining fitness for the army and the soldiers' morale during fighting, it is permitted to "breach" the walls of modesty and "satisfy the evil inclination by lying with attractive Gentile women against their will, out of consideration for the difficulties faced by the soldiers and for overall success."
He was criticized for not giving a clear answer forbidding rape, which led him four years ago to issue a clarification saying his answer was taken out of context, and that he was speaking of war laws in Biblical times. "Of course the Torah has never permitted the rape of a woman," he wrote. "The law for a 'beautiful woman' (a woman taken captive during war —ed.) is designed to cause the soldier to go back on his intention to wed the captive woman, with a series of actions that hide her beauty and emphasize her personality and sorrow."
The IDF's Spokesman's Office said the rabbi's comments were made in response to a specific question and not a practical one.
On Tuesday, Karim was called in to meet with Head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate Maj. Gen. Hagi Topolanski, following which he expressed regret for his earlier statements and said, "There is no license in times of peace or war to sexually assault women."
Karim, who also stated previously that female induction to the IDF was "completely forbidden," said to Topolanski that women should be drafted, and he added that the supported and believed in women serving in the IDF.
Rabbi Eyal Karim permitted soldiers to refuse an order if it was 'at odds with Jewish law,' determined that wounded terrorists must be killed and that homosexuals, who are 'sick or deformed' should be 'helped to escape their situation, with a lot of sensitivity and patience.'
Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim, the IDF's selection to be the military's next chief rabbi, may have apologized on Tuesday for controversial comments he made in the past permitting the rape of women in wartime, but his appointment has met with further obstacles as more problematic past statements come to light.
Answering readers' questions on the religious website "Kipa," Rabbi Karim ruled that when a military order is at odds with Halachic (Jewish) law, a soldier is allowed to refuse an order.
"Sometimes, there are questions about the ethics of war that are enshrined in Halacha. An order that is at odds with the Halacha—must not be followed," he wrote. "An order to commit a sin or prevent the fulfillment of a mitzvah (commandment) should certainly not be followed. Just as there is operational alertness, there should be mitzvah alertness."
However, the rabbi stressed that in the case of pikuach nefesh (a Jewish concept that requires setting aside most religious restrictions in order to save a life —ed.) - the order must not be refused.
In 2003, Karim was asked how to deal with a wounded terrorist. "Suicide bombers who were wounded must be killed," the rabbi determined.
In another instance he ruled that "terrorists should not be treated as human beings, as they are 'animals,' and the rule 'He who is merciful to the cruel eventually would be cruel to the merciful' applies to them."
On the topic of women in general and women in the IDF in particular, Rabbi Karim was asked why the Torah forbids women to testify in court. The rabbi responded that this was indeed discrimination, but "a good discrimination for women, as a woman's sentimental nature does not allow her to withstand a cross examination at court."
He also forbad men to serve under women, as this would force them "to focus their eyes on her during most hours of the day."
When asked about homosexuality, the rabbi said gays and lesbians should be treated with love and support, but also referred to them as "sick or deformed," saying they "must be helped to escape their situation, with a lot of sensitivity and patience."
According to Karim, "just as one gender does not need that of the same gender among animals because it is not natural for them—all the more so for human beings."
He further claimed that those with "backward tendencies" could fight these tendencies and change them.
The 59-year-old colonel came under fire this week after misogynistic statements he made in an answer to a Halachic question he was asked 14 years ago came to light. Rabbi Karim was asked if soldiers were permitted to rape women during war.
He replied that, as part of maintaining fitness for the army and the soldiers' morale during fighting, it is permitted to "breach" the walls of modesty and "satisfy the evil inclination by lying with attractive Gentile women against their will, out of consideration for the difficulties faced by the soldiers and for overall success."
He was criticized for not giving a clear answer forbidding rape, which led him four years ago to issue a clarification saying his answer was taken out of context, and that he was speaking of war laws in Biblical times. "Of course the Torah has never permitted the rape of a woman," he wrote. "The law for a 'beautiful woman' (a woman taken captive during war —ed.) is designed to cause the soldier to go back on his intention to wed the captive woman, with a series of actions that hide her beauty and emphasize her personality and sorrow."
The IDF's Spokesman's Office said the rabbi's comments were made in response to a specific question and not a practical one.
On Tuesday, Karim was called in to meet with Head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate Maj. Gen. Hagi Topolanski, following which he expressed regret for his earlier statements and said, "There is no license in times of peace or war to sexually assault women."
Karim, who also stated previously that female induction to the IDF was "completely forbidden," said to Topolanski that women should be drafted, and he added that the supported and believed in women serving in the IDF.
12 july 2016
Called in for a meeting with the head of the Manpower Directorate, Col. Eyal Karim claimed that he did not approve of raping women in wartime and supported drafting women to the IDF.
Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim, the IDF's selection to be the military's next chief rabbi, was called in on Tuesday to meet with Head of the Manpower Directorate Maj. Gen. Hagi Topolanski following the public outcry over the rabbi's previous misogynistic pronouncements, which included permitting rape during wartime.
Karim expressed regret for his earlier statements and said, "There is no license in times of peace or war to sexually assault women."
Karim, who also stated previously that female induction to the IDF was "completely forbidden," said to Topolanski that women should be drafted, and he added that the supported and believed in women serving in the IDF.
Regarding his statements on religious Jews being exposed to female singing voices at IDF ceremonies, the rabbi stated that he was part of the decision to establish the procedure that permits all soldiers to be present at events where women sing. In the past, he allegedly even ordered—on different occasions—that those present not leave.
A statement from the IDF Spokesperson unit said, "The IDF is the state army of the people, and he is proud to lead the Chief Rabbinate, and he promises to act stately, wisely, and with sensitivity in his position."
Karim , 59, is a Religious Zionist and is an alumnus of the Bnei Akiva Nachalim and the Ateret Cohanim yeshivas. He published many religious recommendations for observant soldiers to help them organize exemptions from activities on the Sabbath, and wrote four books on the matter.
In 2011, the colonel gave an opinion that, according to Jewish law, female singers should not perform at IDF ceremonies. "It's desirable to create a ceremonial post that respects the views of all those present at the ceremony, and, to that end, to bring a male and not a female singer," he wrote in a 28-page opinion. "When this would not be possible, due to various reasons, those whose sensitivities would be offended must be excused from attending the ceremony."
The rabbi gave a more shocking answer on the religious website Kipa when asked if soldiers were permitted to rape women during war. Karim replied that, as part of maintaining fitness for the army and the soldiers' morale during fighting, it is permitted to "breach" the walls of modesty and "satisfy the evil inclination by lying with attractive Gentile women against their will, out of consideration for the difficulties faced by the soldiers and for overall success."
Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim, the IDF's selection to be the military's next chief rabbi, was called in on Tuesday to meet with Head of the Manpower Directorate Maj. Gen. Hagi Topolanski following the public outcry over the rabbi's previous misogynistic pronouncements, which included permitting rape during wartime.
Karim expressed regret for his earlier statements and said, "There is no license in times of peace or war to sexually assault women."
Karim, who also stated previously that female induction to the IDF was "completely forbidden," said to Topolanski that women should be drafted, and he added that the supported and believed in women serving in the IDF.
Regarding his statements on religious Jews being exposed to female singing voices at IDF ceremonies, the rabbi stated that he was part of the decision to establish the procedure that permits all soldiers to be present at events where women sing. In the past, he allegedly even ordered—on different occasions—that those present not leave.
A statement from the IDF Spokesperson unit said, "The IDF is the state army of the people, and he is proud to lead the Chief Rabbinate, and he promises to act stately, wisely, and with sensitivity in his position."
Karim , 59, is a Religious Zionist and is an alumnus of the Bnei Akiva Nachalim and the Ateret Cohanim yeshivas. He published many religious recommendations for observant soldiers to help them organize exemptions from activities on the Sabbath, and wrote four books on the matter.
In 2011, the colonel gave an opinion that, according to Jewish law, female singers should not perform at IDF ceremonies. "It's desirable to create a ceremonial post that respects the views of all those present at the ceremony, and, to that end, to bring a male and not a female singer," he wrote in a 28-page opinion. "When this would not be possible, due to various reasons, those whose sensitivities would be offended must be excused from attending the ceremony."
The rabbi gave a more shocking answer on the religious website Kipa when asked if soldiers were permitted to rape women during war. Karim replied that, as part of maintaining fitness for the army and the soldiers' morale during fighting, it is permitted to "breach" the walls of modesty and "satisfy the evil inclination by lying with attractive Gentile women against their will, out of consideration for the difficulties faced by the soldiers and for overall success."
Col. Eyal Karim, the IDF's intended next chief rabbi, has previously provided misogynistic interpretations of Jewish law that consider female conscription 'utterly forbidden' and permits raping 'attracting Gentile women' as a way to keep up morale; female MKs and women's rights organizations, incensed, call for his appointment to be cancelled.
Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim, who was announced on Monday as the IDF's intended new chief rabbi, has provoked controversy with previous misogynistic statements, such as opposing female conscription and implying that rape was permissible in times of war.
The 59-year-old colonel was chosen to replace the outgoing chief rabbi, Brig. Gen. Rafi Peretz, who is stepping down after six years in the position. Karim has been serving as the head of the Rabbinate Department in the Military Rabbinate. He is an alumnus of the Bnei Akiva Nachalim and the Ateret Cohanim yeshivas, and he served previously as a combat paratrooper, eventually commanding their elite reconnaissance unit, before taking a break from the military and eventually returning to its rabbinate.
However, a number of Karim's controversial statements that have come to light have cast a shadow on his impending appointment.
For several years, Karim has responded to questions posed to him on the religious website Kipa. One such question was "What are the problems with conscripting girls to the army?"
Karim replied, "In a situation that existed, such as in the War of Independence, that exposed the nation of Israel to an existential threat, and the reality is defined as actually pikuach nefesh (a Jewish concept that requires setting aside most religious restrictions in order to save a life —ed.), then women also participated in defending the people and the country, even though the reality wasn't so modest. But currently, we aren't in a situation of actual pikuach nefesh.
"Because the damage to modesty that is likely to be caused to a girl and to the nation is decisive, the greats of the generation and the chief rabbinate have ruled that girls serving in the IDF is completely forbidden."
The rabbi gave a more shocking answer on the same site when asked if soldiers were permitted to rape women during war. Karim replied that, as part of maintaining fitness for the army and the soldiers' morale during fighting, it is permitted to "breach" the walls of modesty and "satisfy the evil inclination by lying with attractive Gentile women against their will, out of consideration for the difficulties faced by the soldiers and for overall success."
In 2011, the colonel gave an opinion that, according to Jewish law, female singers should not perform at IDF ceremonies. "It's desirable to create a ceremonial post that respects the views of all those present at the ceremony, and, to that end, to bring a male and not a female singer," he wrote. "When this would not be possible, due to various reasons, those whose sensitivities would be offended must be excused from attending the ceremony."
After Karim was announced as the intended new IDF chief rabbi, members of Knesset and women's rights organizations called for the decision to be revoked. The head of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, MK Aida Touma-Sliman (Joint Arab List), said, "Col. Karim's ruling on permitting raping non-Jewish women is similar to the fatwa of a murderous organization that's not so far from Israel's borders.
I will contact the attorney general and oppose the appointment, and I call on female and male members of Knesset to join my request."
The chairperson of Na'amat —Movement of Working Women & Volunteers, Galia Wolloch, said that Karim's appointment was unfortunate and that she intended to contact the IDF chief of staff to insist on its revocation. "Anyone who thinks that rape is okay as a morale-booster for soldiers, so long as it's of gentile women, cannot lead the army to good moral and spiritual places."
Meretz Chairperson MK Zehava Galon, announced, "Col. Eyal Karim is not suitable to be the chief rabbinical authority of the IDF, a body in which tens of thousands of women serve, and he isn't suitable to represent Jewish morality in any way whatsoever. His appalling, racist and violent statement makes women fair game."
MK Michael Rozin (Meretz), formerly the executive director of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, said, "I demand that in honor of his new position, Col. Karim go through a training course in preventing sexual assaults."
The IDF Spokesperson's Office issued a reply: "Col. Karim asks to clarify that his statement was issued as the answer to a theoretical question and not in any way whatsoever a question of practical Jewish law. Rabbi Karim has never written, said or even thought that and IDF soldier is permitted to sexually assault a woman in war—anyone who interprets his words otherwise is completely mistaken.
Rabbi Karim's moral approach is attested by his years of military service in command, combat, and rabbinical positions in which he displayed complete loyalty to the values and spirit of the IDF, in particular the dignity of the person."
Rabbi Col. Eyal Karim, who was announced on Monday as the IDF's intended new chief rabbi, has provoked controversy with previous misogynistic statements, such as opposing female conscription and implying that rape was permissible in times of war.
The 59-year-old colonel was chosen to replace the outgoing chief rabbi, Brig. Gen. Rafi Peretz, who is stepping down after six years in the position. Karim has been serving as the head of the Rabbinate Department in the Military Rabbinate. He is an alumnus of the Bnei Akiva Nachalim and the Ateret Cohanim yeshivas, and he served previously as a combat paratrooper, eventually commanding their elite reconnaissance unit, before taking a break from the military and eventually returning to its rabbinate.
However, a number of Karim's controversial statements that have come to light have cast a shadow on his impending appointment.
For several years, Karim has responded to questions posed to him on the religious website Kipa. One such question was "What are the problems with conscripting girls to the army?"
Karim replied, "In a situation that existed, such as in the War of Independence, that exposed the nation of Israel to an existential threat, and the reality is defined as actually pikuach nefesh (a Jewish concept that requires setting aside most religious restrictions in order to save a life —ed.), then women also participated in defending the people and the country, even though the reality wasn't so modest. But currently, we aren't in a situation of actual pikuach nefesh.
"Because the damage to modesty that is likely to be caused to a girl and to the nation is decisive, the greats of the generation and the chief rabbinate have ruled that girls serving in the IDF is completely forbidden."
The rabbi gave a more shocking answer on the same site when asked if soldiers were permitted to rape women during war. Karim replied that, as part of maintaining fitness for the army and the soldiers' morale during fighting, it is permitted to "breach" the walls of modesty and "satisfy the evil inclination by lying with attractive Gentile women against their will, out of consideration for the difficulties faced by the soldiers and for overall success."
In 2011, the colonel gave an opinion that, according to Jewish law, female singers should not perform at IDF ceremonies. "It's desirable to create a ceremonial post that respects the views of all those present at the ceremony, and, to that end, to bring a male and not a female singer," he wrote. "When this would not be possible, due to various reasons, those whose sensitivities would be offended must be excused from attending the ceremony."
After Karim was announced as the intended new IDF chief rabbi, members of Knesset and women's rights organizations called for the decision to be revoked. The head of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, MK Aida Touma-Sliman (Joint Arab List), said, "Col. Karim's ruling on permitting raping non-Jewish women is similar to the fatwa of a murderous organization that's not so far from Israel's borders.
I will contact the attorney general and oppose the appointment, and I call on female and male members of Knesset to join my request."
The chairperson of Na'amat —Movement of Working Women & Volunteers, Galia Wolloch, said that Karim's appointment was unfortunate and that she intended to contact the IDF chief of staff to insist on its revocation. "Anyone who thinks that rape is okay as a morale-booster for soldiers, so long as it's of gentile women, cannot lead the army to good moral and spiritual places."
Meretz Chairperson MK Zehava Galon, announced, "Col. Eyal Karim is not suitable to be the chief rabbinical authority of the IDF, a body in which tens of thousands of women serve, and he isn't suitable to represent Jewish morality in any way whatsoever. His appalling, racist and violent statement makes women fair game."
MK Michael Rozin (Meretz), formerly the executive director of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, said, "I demand that in honor of his new position, Col. Karim go through a training course in preventing sexual assaults."
The IDF Spokesperson's Office issued a reply: "Col. Karim asks to clarify that his statement was issued as the answer to a theoretical question and not in any way whatsoever a question of practical Jewish law. Rabbi Karim has never written, said or even thought that and IDF soldier is permitted to sexually assault a woman in war—anyone who interprets his words otherwise is completely mistaken.
Rabbi Karim's moral approach is attested by his years of military service in command, combat, and rabbinical positions in which he displayed complete loyalty to the values and spirit of the IDF, in particular the dignity of the person."
21 june 2016
It seems that we are standing in front an intensified zionist strategy to poison the wells of the Palestinians to commit genocide against them and force them out again from their homes and villages, like what they have already done for long as it was explained by the jewish historian Ilan Pappe.
This is not a new zionist technique but they have been using it since the inception of the zionist state as a mean to kill and ethnically cleanse the natives, as the zionists were the first to introduce and use the chemical weapons in the Middle East .In May 1948 the Zionist gangs besieged the well-fortified Palestinian city of Acre, which could stand the siege for a long time.
The city water supply came from a nearby village name Kabri through an aqueduct. To shorten the siege and to enter the city, the Zionist gangs injected typhoid in the aqueduct. Many Palestinians and some 55 British soldiers, who were in the city, got infected. This crime was called operation “Shlach Lachmecha” as described by the Israeli military historian Urin Milstein [Wendy Barnaby’s “The Plague Makers: The Secret World of Biological Warfare”, London, Vision Paperbacks, 1997, pp 114-116]
During the Ethnic cleansing of Palestine 1947-1948, this technique of poisoning the wells was used in different villages in Palestine- which was documented by both the International Red Cross and the British Mandate authorities- in a systematic way to cause panic and force the Palestinians out of their villages for the zionist settlers.
This was not the only case……….. on the 6th May of the same year, many cases of typhoid erupted suddenly in the area. The British Army and Red Cross medics found 70 cases of the disease. It was clear that the disease was coming from the water source and was not being caused by poor sanitation, as the Israelis claimed. A week before the British left Palestine, the British Mandate Authorities instructed the Arab residents of Israel to drink water only from the city’s wells. They started to chlorinate the aqueduct. The Zionists’ claim that poor sanitation caused the epidemic was dismissed when 55 British soldiers were also infected and rushed to the Royal Hospital in Port Said Egypt….
This didnt happen only during the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1947-8, but it followed for long after that. As an integral part of the ethnic cleansing process, the zionists used to raze the native villages and poison the wells to prevent any expelled native from coming back as an Israeli historian explained:
Israeli military historian, Uri Milstein, eclaims that during this period, “in many conquered Arab villages, the water supply was poisoned to prevent the inhabitants from coming back.” According to Milstein, the typhoid epidemic that occurred in the Palestinian village Acre before it fell to Jewish terrorists was a deliberate biological attack and not just a coincidence of war.
However, the criminal zionists continued, and are still continuing their criminality while the world is turning a blind eye, hoping for the beast to be tamed.
Sara Leibovitz-Dar is a persistent investigative journalist. The trauma experienced by her parents in their native Lithuania left an indelible mark on her. She abhorred injustice and, particularly, the meek acceptance of it. She investigated the Gaza and Acre poisoning and shooting down of the civilian Libyan aircraft. The Israeli military historian, Uri Milstein, identified for her the names of the officers responsible for biological crimes.
In the recent years, the zionist settlers have repeatedly poisoned the wells of the Palestinian villages in reported news killing hundreds of goats, sheep and cows where the the Palestinians herd their cattle, and the surprise is that none of the zionist settlers was arrested or accused in any crime.
This is not a new zionist technique but they have been using it since the inception of the zionist state as a mean to kill and ethnically cleanse the natives, as the zionists were the first to introduce and use the chemical weapons in the Middle East .In May 1948 the Zionist gangs besieged the well-fortified Palestinian city of Acre, which could stand the siege for a long time.
The city water supply came from a nearby village name Kabri through an aqueduct. To shorten the siege and to enter the city, the Zionist gangs injected typhoid in the aqueduct. Many Palestinians and some 55 British soldiers, who were in the city, got infected. This crime was called operation “Shlach Lachmecha” as described by the Israeli military historian Urin Milstein [Wendy Barnaby’s “The Plague Makers: The Secret World of Biological Warfare”, London, Vision Paperbacks, 1997, pp 114-116]
During the Ethnic cleansing of Palestine 1947-1948, this technique of poisoning the wells was used in different villages in Palestine- which was documented by both the International Red Cross and the British Mandate authorities- in a systematic way to cause panic and force the Palestinians out of their villages for the zionist settlers.
This was not the only case……….. on the 6th May of the same year, many cases of typhoid erupted suddenly in the area. The British Army and Red Cross medics found 70 cases of the disease. It was clear that the disease was coming from the water source and was not being caused by poor sanitation, as the Israelis claimed. A week before the British left Palestine, the British Mandate Authorities instructed the Arab residents of Israel to drink water only from the city’s wells. They started to chlorinate the aqueduct. The Zionists’ claim that poor sanitation caused the epidemic was dismissed when 55 British soldiers were also infected and rushed to the Royal Hospital in Port Said Egypt….
This didnt happen only during the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1947-8, but it followed for long after that. As an integral part of the ethnic cleansing process, the zionists used to raze the native villages and poison the wells to prevent any expelled native from coming back as an Israeli historian explained:
Israeli military historian, Uri Milstein, eclaims that during this period, “in many conquered Arab villages, the water supply was poisoned to prevent the inhabitants from coming back.” According to Milstein, the typhoid epidemic that occurred in the Palestinian village Acre before it fell to Jewish terrorists was a deliberate biological attack and not just a coincidence of war.
However, the criminal zionists continued, and are still continuing their criminality while the world is turning a blind eye, hoping for the beast to be tamed.
Sara Leibovitz-Dar is a persistent investigative journalist. The trauma experienced by her parents in their native Lithuania left an indelible mark on her. She abhorred injustice and, particularly, the meek acceptance of it. She investigated the Gaza and Acre poisoning and shooting down of the civilian Libyan aircraft. The Israeli military historian, Uri Milstein, identified for her the names of the officers responsible for biological crimes.
In the recent years, the zionist settlers have repeatedly poisoned the wells of the Palestinian villages in reported news killing hundreds of goats, sheep and cows where the the Palestinians herd their cattle, and the surprise is that none of the zionist settlers was arrested or accused in any crime.
18 june 2016
The Palestinian national office for the defense of land and resistance of settlement warned of the dangers and consequences of the Israeli rabbis’ advisory opinion permitting settlers to poison the running water in cities and towns of the West Bank.
In its weekly report, the office on Saturday pointed to the advisory opinion by Rabbi Shlomo Mlmad, the chairman of the so-called Council of Rabbis in West Bank settlements, which was disclosed by the Israeli organization 'Break the Silence'.
Yehuda Shaul, of Break the Silence organization, said that the aim behind poisoning water in the West Bank is pushing Palestinians to leave their towns and cities to pave the way for settlers who look forward to take over their lands.
In its weekly report, the office on Saturday pointed to the advisory opinion by Rabbi Shlomo Mlmad, the chairman of the so-called Council of Rabbis in West Bank settlements, which was disclosed by the Israeli organization 'Break the Silence'.
Yehuda Shaul, of Break the Silence organization, said that the aim behind poisoning water in the West Bank is pushing Palestinians to leave their towns and cities to pave the way for settlers who look forward to take over their lands.
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In an interview with Israel’s Knesset Channel (the Israeli equivalent of CSPAN), the country’s chief Ashkenazi rabbi advocates building a Third Temple on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, arguing that it can be done without demolishing Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock, according to +972 mag.
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