“Israeli” Army Chief Rabbi: Troops Who Show Mercy to Enemy Will Be ‘Damned’

Local Editor, 17-11-2009

The "Israeli" army's chief rabbi lectured students in a pre-army yeshiva program last week that soldiers who "show mercy" toward the enemy during military operations will be "damned."
Brig. Gen. Avichai Rontzki also said that religious individuals make up better combat troops.

Rontzki statements came Thursday at the Hesder yeshiva in the West Bank settlement on the laws of war. That text quotes a passage from the Book of Jeremiah stating: "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord with a slack hand, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."

In Rontzki's words, "In times of war, whoever doesn't fight with all his heart and soul is damned - if he keeps his sword from bloodshed, if he shows mercy toward his enemy when no mercy should be shown."

Rontzki's remarks came during a ceremony to celebrate a new Torah scroll at the yeshiva.
Rontzki also referred particularly to the "Israeli" occupation army's behaviour during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. "Apropos all that we've heard in the media of late thank God that the people of Israel have united recently around the simple understanding of how it must fight. One of the major innovations of that offensive was the conduct of war - not as some kind of mission or detention."

"We all remember the beginning of the war, with a major attack of 80 planes bombing various places, and then artillery, mortar and tank fire and so forth, as in war," he added.