Rabbi Karim with outgoing IDF Chief Rabbi Peretz
Rabbi Karim with outgoing IDF Chief Rabbi Peretznone

The IDF has decided to cancel the induction ceremony of would-be Army Chief Rabbi Eyal Karim, after the Supreme Court’s decision to delay his appointment.

The ceremony was supposed to have taken place this Wednesday, but was postponed to an unknown date.

The Army explained this evening that “in accordance with the Supreme Court decision, the ceremony for the incoming Army Chief Rabbi has been postponed. A new date will be set at a later time.”

Earlier, sources close to the Rabbi said that “Rabbi Eyal Karim expressed his opinion on questions he was asked 14 years ago as a rabbi and citizen. His answers were given within the context of addressing Jewish law, and the attempt to take his words out of their original context is an attempt to erase fundamental positions found in the Bible and Jewish law,” they said.

This afternoon, Supreme Court judges ruled to delay the appointment of Rabbi Karim as Chief Army Rabbi due to accusations that statements the Rabbi made within the context of ruling on matters of Jewish law “showed burning hatred of women, homophobia, and blatant intolerance towards foreigners.”

During the ruling, the judges said, “The Chief Rabbi of Israel is a figure representing values and ethics. It can’t be that shocking words like these are allowed to pass without clarification. Does the Rabbi still stand behind these words today?”

Judge Salim Joubran said that “the words that were said are shocking, to put it lightly,” and asked: “Where in Jewish law is it written that it is allowed to rape women?”

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Miriam Naor added that answers needed to come from the Rabbi himself, “not in letters and not through spoken explanations, but in [the form of an official] declaration. What his position was then, what it is today - and if he has since changed his mind.”