Gay pride march
Photo: Gilad Kolarchik
IDF rabbi compares gays to beasts
Officer serving as IDF rabbi sends email in which he compared sexual intercourse with animals and gay relations
An IDF rabbi in the rank of first-lieutenant from the Home Front Command sent an email to dozens of officers and non-commissioned officers serving in his district, in which he compared relations between gays to bestiality. In the email, the officer also said it was possible to "be cured" of homosexual tendencies.
The email was not composed by the rabbi himself, but some of the recipients were angered by the use of internal IDF email to express views on the subject.
The IDF looked into the issue and instructed the rabbi to apologize. He was also called in by his commander. The IDF Spokesperson Unit told Ynet: "The IDF denunciates speech of this type and finds it unacceptable. The IDF advances values of equality and respect without connection to religion, faith, and tendencies, and the issue will be checked."
"It's clear a connection between man and beast is abominable," the letter sent by the rabbi, under the subject 'a point to consider,' read. "It's forbidden to confuse fondness and emotional closeness and physical connections designed to bring new life, existence, and growth. The impulse for sex has been imprinted in humans and animals as one. It's not bad to enjoy it and there's nothing to be ashamed about. But how shallow and humiliating is it to enjoy it as an animal act," the email added.
"Sexual tendencies are not banned by the General Staff," an officer who received the email replied. "If your personal view is not tied to issues of military-religion, you are not supposed to disperse it to the army, you cannot compare between a gay and a beast," the officer added.
