Jerusalem Chief Rabbi: Women of the Wall is 'satan incarnate'

Having already described Israel's laws and civil courts as manifestations of Satan, Jerusalem Chief Rabbi Amar has now publicly described Women of the Wall as "Satan incarnate," claiming they should be hospitalized.

21/04/2016 12:04

Tags: Shlomo Amar · Women of the Wall · Chief Rabbinate

Jerusalem Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar

We have already described how recent limited progress along the path of religious freedom and equality resulted with the most horrific verbal assault, by leading rabbinic and political religious leadership [link]. They were aimed at Reform and Conservative Judaism, Women of the Wall, and Israel’s Supreme Court. Now Rabbi Amar is stepping up his rhetoric and joining in this chorus. Having already described Israel's laws and civil courts as manifestations of the Satan that should be eliminated and replaced by a Torah-based theocracy, Rabbi Amar has now publicly described Women of the Wall as "Satan incarnate," claiming they should be hospitalized [link]. Such brutish, hateful, attacks are unworthy of any self-respecting person, let alone a rabbi. How much more so are Rabbi Amar's hateful words towards WoW unacceptable, as a state salaried employee and top religious official for all the Jews of Jerusalem, Israel’s capitol?

Unlike Rabbi Amar, we do not feel qualified to provide psychological assessments, but one thing is clear to us, as we wrote before he was appointed [link]: Rabbi Amar is not fit to serve as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, nor was he fit to serve as Chief Rabbi of Israel. Only when Judaism is regarded as nothing more than merchandise to be sold in political horse-trading, can a rabbi with such hateful views be appointed as Chief and empowered by the State of Israel!

Unsurprisingly, hardly anyone feels the Chief Rabbinate represents them. Haredim have their own rabbis and spiritual leaders and do not rely on, or even trust, the rulings of the Chief Rabbinate. Secular Israelis are increasingly turning to alternative expressions of Judaism, whether modern Orthodox groups such as Tzohar rabbis, Chabad, Breslav; non-Orthodox movements; or post-denominational entities such as Jewish renewal groups, Nigun Halev, Beit Tefila Yisraelit, Beit Midrash Alma, and many more.

There is also an inherent contradiction between the religious faith of men like Amar and the very core democratic values that ensure basic religious freedom and equality.

There is also an inherent contradiction between the religious faith of men like Amar and the very core democratic values that ensure basic religious freedom and equality, such as gender equality or the fair treatment of the non-Orthodox streams of Judaism. The time has come to respect religious diversity, embrace the full rainbow of modern Jewish identities, and do away with the misguided political notion of a Chief Rabbinate!