Islam And The West

A meeting was held in Jerusalem on Monday night for prospective members of the Israeli Defense Forces.

The gathering was addressed by such religious luminaries as IDF Chief Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Avichai Ronsky, Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and Kiryat Arba Chief Rabbi Dov Lior.

image by dAVIDb1

The Rabbis reminded the men that war was a religious commandment obligated upon them. Through their speeches they also enthused the prospective draftees with religious and nationalistic fervour:

“A small number of young men soon to be drafted into the IDF from Hesder yeshivot around the country gathered at the Jerusalem Theater on Monday evening to hear speakers from the national-religious camp espouse the virtues of fulfilling “the commandment of war.”

…IDF Chief Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Avichai Ronsky told the youths it was a privilege to be able to take part “in the commandment of war and the preparations for fulfilling it.”

“Embrace this commandment with all your hearts. It is a right previous generations could not realize,” Ronsky said.

…Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau delivered a speech expressing hope that Israel would embark on preemptive wars rather than wait for “the enemy to come here… and see the whites of our eyes.”

…Kiryat Arba Chief Rabbi Dov Lior delivered a fiery and overtly political speech, calling for Israeli sovereignty over the whole of the Land of Israel and criticizing what he described as weak-minded IDF strategies in the face of Israel’s enemies.

Citing the Torah, Lior noted that “200,000 Israelites and 10,000 Judahites fought Amalek. Why are the Judahites counted separately from the others? Because the Israelite army pitied Amalek. Today this is called being humanitarian.”

He added, “Only the tribe of Judah did not pity Amalek, and destroyed it… The sons of Torah are taught not to pity their enemies.”

Lior expressed hope that a growing number of IDF strategists coming from the national-religious camp would have an influence on future military campaigns.

“We need ethics from the Torah, not the Christian world, which teaches to turn the other cheek. This hypocrisy is against human nature,” Lior said.”

(Source: Jerusalem Post)

Popularity: 1% [?]

Related posts:

1. Shmuel Ben-Yishai: Israeli Soldiers Should Be “Slaughtered” Kiryat Arba is an Israeli settlement attached the West Bank...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.