ISRAEL
Haaretz
Gili Cohen Jul 13, 2016
Israel Defense Forces chief Gadi Eisenkot said Wednesday he was standing by his controversial decision to make Rabbi Eyal Karim the IDF’s next chief rabbi, even if remarks Karim made as a civilian did not represent the military’s values.
The rabbi’s appointment, which still needs the approval of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, has been harshly criticized because of his remarks on women, gay people and non-Jews.
Karim has implied that it is permissible to rape gentile women during wartime, that women should not fill combat roles, and that women cannot testify in court because their “sentimental” nature does not allow it. He has also said that it is permitted to kill wounded suicide bombers and that gay people should be treated as people “sick or disabled.”
In a statement, the IDF said Eisenkot had discussed the controversial issues at length with Karim. Karim promised that under his leadership, the military rabbinate would respect all people regardless of their religion, race and sexual orientation, and that he “sees the army as the people’s army that accepts all recruits, whoever they might be.”
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