Galon lauds High Court for ruling on rabbi

Meretz head Zehava Galon crows “victory” on Facebook after the High Court freezes the appointment of Eyal Karim as IDF chief rabbi over remarks he made that were perceived as condoning rape of non-Jewish women during wartime.

She joins fellow Meretz MKs Michal Rozin and Tamar Zandberg in feting the decision, after the three petitioned the court, and she slams Karim for failing to show at the hearing.

According to the ruling, Karim will have to issue an affidavit on his past and current views on wartime rape and the role of women in the military.

“Rabbi Karim couldn’t bother to show up to the hearing on his issue. It didn’t interest him. But the judges said today would should have been clear to the IDF chief of staff: A man like this cannot have the post of chief IDF rabbi,” she writes.

Karim has also said that it is “entirely forbidden” for women to serve in the army for reasons of modesty, and has opposed women singing at army events as contrary to halacha, Jewish law.

“Now it depends on Rabbi Karim. Will he continue to hide behind stuttered half-explanations or take back his words. This is really a minimal demand. Tens of thousands of women are supposed to be drafted into the army. It can’t be that the army rabbi has a problem with them,” she writes. “There is no room here for elaborate justifications or excuses. It’s just a shame that it took the High Court to explain that to the IDF.”