clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Israel approves new, pro-settler army chief rabbi

November 29, 2016 at 4:50 pm

The Israeli Supreme Court yesterday approved the appointment of Eyal Karim to the position of Israeli military chief rabbi.

Karim, who will assume the role on Thursday, was the subject of a petition by Meretz parliamentarians, in light of remarks he had previously made about women, rape, homosexuality and the rights of non-Jews.

Earlier this year, Israeli media reported that Karim, as a civilian rabbi, had declared it permissible for soldiers to rape women during wartime, in addition to separately describing “terrorists” as “animals” who should not be treated as human beings.

In response to the lawmakers’ petition, Karim submitted a written affidavit to the court, clarifying his views, and denying that he had ever thought soldiers could rape women during wartime. “I erred in often not formulating my words exactly, and some people were hurt by them,” he said.

In response to the affidavit, the Meretz MKs withdrew their petition, which was approved by the court yesterday. Supreme Court President Miriam Naor, in the ruling, said that Karim’s statements in his affidavit “are in accordance with the values of Israel as a Jewish and democratic nation.”

Karim previously taught at the Ateret Yerushalayim Yeshiva, located in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City and “affiliated with the right-wing Ateret Cohanim organisation, which seeks to Judaise [Israeli-occupied] East Jerusalem.”