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No, the new IDF rabbi does not approve of raping women in wartime

[additional-authors]
July 14, 2016

Half of what you read in the foreign press – but also in the Israeli press – about the appointment of Rabbi Eyal Karim to be the next chief rabbi of Israel’s Defense Forces (the IDF) is ignorantly wrong or intentionally skewed. That is not to say that his appointment is not “controversial.” It is – because of these reports about him, because of him not being careful enough with the public expression of rabbinical views, and mainly because for many people Orthodox rabbinical views are, by definition, backward views. They want a rabbi that endorses gay rights – but cannot find one. They want a rabbi that does not engage in the study of highly disturbing biblical and Talmudic topics – but such a rabbi is hard to find. They want a rabbi that does not exist. At least not among the Orthodox establishment of rabbis in Israel.

Here is the story of rabbi Karim, whose views have been under the microscope in recent days. He was born to a Hasidic family, grew up as an Orthodox Zionist, volunteered to serve as a paratrooper, became an officer, was released, studied in a yeshiva, and then went back to military service. He served in paratrooper units, then in Sayeret Matkal, Israel’s top commando unit, then was called to command the paratrooper’s elite unit. Then he went back to yeshiva, became a rabbi, and went back to service at the IDF rabbinate. A few days ago it was decided that he will be the IDF’s next chief rabbi.

His appointment was followed by a string of scandalous revelations about his supposed problematic views. When he was not in service, as a rabbi, Karim answered halachic questions online. His answers are available for people to read – and they make a disturbing read for people unfamiliar with the language of rabbinic discussions. In one occasion, Karim was asked about a Torah law called Eshet Yefat To’ar – the beautiful woman that a soldier in battle against the enemy craves. This is indeed a Torah law that sounds strange to the modern ear, and in many ways is totally irrelevant in today’s wars. But it is there, and there is Talmudic and rabbinic discussion about it. It cannot be avoided.

When asked about it in a halachic context, rabbi Karim gave a rabbinic answer without really thinking about how his answer might sound in the future, when he is appointed as chief IDF rabbi. Yet this exact response was one of his many responses that were exposed to the public following his appointment. In many cases, it was exposed by journalists and editors whose understanding, or interest, in the nuances of rabbinic discussion is minimal. The result was ugly: IDF's chief rabbi-to-be permits raping women in wartime, Israel’s second largest paper announced. Well – he does not permit such a thing. But his views are indeed quite conservative. He is, after all, an Orthodox rabbi. So he generally prefers women not to serve in the IDF. He considers homosexuality to be a problem.

Karim was under fire for a few days, as newspapers and politicians demanded a cancelation of his appointment. They have a point: Karim will be the chief rabbi of all IDF soldiers, including many who are not religious and who might feel intimidated by a rabbi whose views on issues dear to their hearts are far from his. On the other hand, Karim is a veteran soldier, he commanded paratroopers in battle, he was in the elite units of the IDF. Surely, he knows how to communicate with people who do not hold the same views as him. Surely, he has the commitment and the dedication to the values of the IDF that one wants a chief IDF rabbi to have.

The error in the argument of all those seeking Karim’s early departure is simple: if what they want is a rabbi whose views will not be “rabbinical,” they might find someone they deem suitable. Alas, there is a likelihood that most of those soldiers who do care about rabbinical authority will not deem this “non-rabbinical” rabbi sufficient, and hence will look elsewhere for the rabbinic answers they need. That is a situation the IDF would like to avoid.

Consider this: the IDF relies on many soldiers in combat units who come from religious background and feel the need – whether you like it or not – to have a rabbi instructing them as they serve and face unfamiliar situations of halachic consequence. The IDF needs these soldiers and it needs them to feel welcome and respected in their beliefs. It ought to provide them with a solution to their religious essentials. Thus, the IDF faces a choice: it can appoint a rabbi that they will not respect – in such case, they will not trust him and go elsewhere for advice. Or it can appoint a mainstream rabbi that they do respect – in such case, they will see him as an authority worthy of their respect.

The mainstream rabbi will not be a rabbi whose views toe the line of secular liberal Israelis. That is the bitter pill those Israelis have to swallow as they watch someone like Karim becoming the chief IDF rabbi. On the other hand – if chosen wisely – he will be not just a mainstream rabbi, but also a mainstream IDF person. He will be a rabbi whose service thus far, familiarity with military life, and, most of all, recognition of the chain of command is unquestionable. The IDF has to have a rabbi whose approach is what we call in Hebrew Mamlachti – that is, an approach that values the supremacy of the state in making political decisions.

Rabbi Karim is such a rabbi. Not necessarily your cup of tea. Not necessarily mine. But he is a rabbi that will be crystal clear in telling all soldiers that the authority that commands them in service is neither a rabbi nor any other spiritual authority – it is their military commanders. And since Karim does have rabbinical authority – the soldiers might listen to him. And since he holds views that make some Israelis cringe – the soldiers who respect rabbis might respect him.

So, does it have to be Karim? No, it does not. Maybe the controversy has become disruptive in a way that makes his appointment too thorny. And yet, to make the appointment of an IDF chief rabbi useful and worthy, it has to be someone not much different from Karim. So it might as well be him.

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