Rabbi Karim
Rabbi Karimצילום: ליאור מזרחי, פלאש 90

Rabbi Eyal Karim will be sworn in as the new Chief Rabbi of the IDF this coming Thursday, after the thre women MKs from the Meretz party withdrew their petition against his appointment Sunday.

Arutz Sheva has learned that the swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Kirya Base in Tel Aviv Thursday. Rabbi Karim will also be promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.

The ceremony was initially scheduled to take place last Wednesday, but was postponed following the petition against Rabbi Karim by Meretz MK’s Zahava Gal-On, Tamar Zandberg, and Michal Rozin.

While the MKs stated "we won" when explaining why they had withdrawn their petition, it was expected that the High Court would ultimately reject the petition even if had not been withdrawn in light of Rabbi Karim's affidavit, in which he explained that he certainly did not believe it was permissible for IDF soldiers to rape foreign women during times of war - as the three MK's had accused him of saying due to their lack of understanding both of how to learn Torah and the way a Torah scholar responds to questions such as the one on the matter sent to the rabbi 12 years ago - and the state's defense of him as "the best man for the job."

According to the court’s resolution: “The clear statements in the respondent’s affidavit are in alignment with the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.”

The President of the High Court, Justice Miriam Naor, said: “We wish Colonel Rabbi Eyal Karim much success in fulfilling his important role for the glory of the IDF and the State of Israel.”

Critics of the Supreme Court's involvement. including Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, claimed it should have rejected the petition out of hand, since it is hardly qualified to judge Torah responsa nor to choose the IDF Chief Rabbi.