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| By: Israel Insider staff |
| Published: August 27, 2007 |
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A former Sephardi chief rabbi of Israel and Shas' current spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, told followers in remarks broadcast on Monday that Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed in combat because "they don't observe the sabbath," according to Haaretz. He blamed their death on the fact that they did not observe Jewish religious laws.
"Is it any wonder if, heaven forbid, soldiers are killed in a war?" Rabbi Yosef said during his weekly Saturday night sermon.
"They don't observe the Sabbath, they don't observe [the laws of] the Torah, they don't pray, they don't put on phylacteries every day. Is it any wonder that they're killed? It's no wonder. May the Almighty have mercy on them and bring them back to religion."
According to local media sources, Rabbi Yosef said that when soldiers "believe and pray, G-d helps them during the war" and that these troops "don't get killed."
The rabbi's comments caused uproar. Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said that he was "pained by the statements."
"Casualties to civilians and soldiers make no distinction between those who are more exacting [in their religious observance] and those who are less."
David Einhorn, the father of a soldier killed in the Second Lebanon War a year ago, condemned the rabbi for his comments. Einhorn said his son was killed just before he was to put on phylacteries for prayer.
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