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Brig. Gen. Avichai Rontzki, the Israel Defense Forces' chief rabbi.
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Last update - 19:24 15/11/2009
IDF Chief Rabbi: Troops who show mercy to enemy will be 'damned'
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Gaza war. IDF rabbi 

The Israel Defense Forces' chief rabbi told students in a pre-army yeshiva program last week that soldiers who "show mercy" toward the enemy in wartime will be "damned."

Brig. Gen. Avichai Rontzki also told the yeshiva students that religious individuals made better combat troops.

Speaking Thursday at the Hesder yeshiva in the West Bank settlement of Karnei Shomron , Rontzki referred to Maimonides' discourse 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."
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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. The service was held in commemoration of Yosef Fink, one of two yeshiva students kidnapped by Hezbollah in 1986.

Their bodies were returned 10 years later in a prisoner exchange.

Rontzki also referred specifically to the Israel Defense Forces' conduct during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. "Apropos all that we've heard in the media of late, thank God that the people of Israel has 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 said. "Everyone fought with all their heart and soul, and that includes bravery of course, but also fighting with all the resources one has - to fight as if to truly determine the mission."

Rontzki also referred to the qualities of the ideal combat soldier.

"In Israel's wars, warriors are God-fearing people, righteous people, people who don't have sins on their hands," he said. "One needs to fight with an understanding of what one is fighting for."


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      1.   Well said, but who is the enemy? 02:57  |  Fritz T. 15/11/09
      2.   query 03:26  |  potobac 15/11/09
      3.   Blasphemer with a Tallit 03:38  |  BDF 15/11/09
      4.   Avichai Rontzki Trumps The Fourth Geneva Convention 03:44  |  Reader 15/11/09
      5.   IDF should be strong! God bless Israel and IDF, IAF! 03:59  |  Vittorio 15/11/09
      6.   I truely agree 04:21  |  Joel 15/11/09
      7.   well-said 04:30  |  judith 15/11/09
      8.   between the rabbi advocating baby killing +this gov`t official`s 04:48  |  newageblues 15/11/09
      9.   Israel`s jihad taliban! 05:39  |  David 15/11/09
      10.   Alternative approaches 05:40  |  HPL 15/11/09
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      16.   Thanks for showing how Rabbis prepares worlds most amoral army 07:23  |  Don Boston 15/11/09
      17.   Is this the IDF?? 07:45  |  HAL. 15/11/09
      18.   Who complaineth about antisemitism? 07:51  |  Michael N 15/11/09
      19.   #11 Interesting logic, Murray 08:07  |  Johnboy 15/11/09
      20.   KGB tactics adopted here at home 08:28  |  Paul 15/11/09
      21.   let`s get rid of religeon 08:50  |  Israel Freeman 15/11/09
      22.   this is your friend? 09:28  |  Hirz 15/11/09
      23.   I`m glad I`ve met rabbis who aren`t like this. 09:35  |  A. T. Wilson 15/11/09
      24.   # 3, John 09:55  |  Sarah 15/11/09
      25.   The Rabbi said 10:11  |  sh 15/11/09
      26.   why is this Rabbi even in the IDF to begin with??? 11:27  |  Israeliguy 15/11/09
      27.   Amalek 11:33  |  Joseph 15/11/09
      28.   Reply to #12 Racial incitement 11:40  |  Sherlock Holmes 15/11/09
      29.   To: Israeliguy 11:42  |  Shmuel 15/11/09
      30.   How to fight 11:44  |  David Raban 15/11/09
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      32.   # 12 Racial Incitement and warfare 11:47  |  Danny 15/11/09
      33.   In the days of the Palmach . . . 11:55  |  Zev Davis 15/11/09
      34.   This is madness! Madness? This is Sparta!!!! 11:58  |  shamgar 15/11/09
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      36.   The Rabbi, like Olmert, has committed a war crime 12:14  |  CJ 15/11/09
      37.   Joseph # 27, the Palestinians are not.... 12:18  |  Amir Mohamed 15/11/09
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      41.   Parallell incident 13:49  |  Amir Mohamed 15/11/09
      42.   On civilians 13:56  |  Bert Cruel 15/11/09
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      44.   Look on the bright side! 14:31  |  HPL 15/11/09
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      100.   H in london---we have not seen evidence of 20:04  |  Labhras 15/11/09
      101.   The Rabbbi and Goldstone 20:18  |  Paul 15/11/09
      102.   LET US COMPARE 20:28  |  ClearCut 15/11/09
      103.   !DF Rabbi 20:43  |  The Teacher/Instruct 15/11/09
      104.   Religion leads to .... 21:17  |  Fred 15/11/09
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      107.   Chief Rabbi 21:49  |  Renny 15/11/09
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      121.   Mercy 02:54  |  D.Sweeney 16/11/09
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      123.   #26 israeliguy asks.... 03:22  |  Johnboy 16/11/09
      124.   For anyone who has fought in war... 03:38  |  nate 16/11/09
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      126.   Sounds like a George Patton disciple 04:32  |  Voice of Reason 16/11/09
      127.   Rabid Rabbi 04:35  |  Johnnie 16/11/09
      128.   Meo - as long 05:26  |  Mark Lincoln 16/11/09
      129.   I`ve said it before, I`ll say it again... 07:38  |  peacelover 16/11/09
      130.   P.S. The "most moral army in the world"? 07:39  |  peacelover 16/11/09
      131.   P.P.S. What Haaretz doesn`t mention... 07:49  |  peacelover 16/11/09
      132.   FOOLISH distortion of Torah and ignorance of Maimonedes(Rambam) 07:49  |  PETER SM 16/11/09
      133.   HAGGERT Exactly what did he" come clean "with 08:04  |  PETER SM 16/11/09
      134.   ROO STALIN Mao,Pol Pot etc-- are incentives for atheism 08:22  |  PETER SM 16/11/09
      135.   "israel`s warriors are God-fearing people, righteous people" (3rd 09:18  |  eric 16/11/09
      136.   What about respect for *human* life as a Jewish value? 09:22  |  Dafna 16/11/09
      137.   he should return to his home 11:21  |  Shalom 16/11/09
      138.   if he shows mercy toward his enemy when no mercy should be shown 12:44  |  John 16/11/09
      139.   Mark from Georgia # 106 14:33  |  Amir Mohamed 16/11/09
      140.   I am happy to see... 14:40  |  Amir Mohamed 16/11/09
      141.   Watch the watchers 14:49  |  Murray 16/11/09
      142.   #139; Amir Mohamed and "Collective punishment" 15:30  |  Mark from Georgia 16/11/09
      143.   PETER SM 16:00  |  Maree 16/11/09
      144.   Mark in Georgia - be honest to what you wrote 16:31  |  Amir Mohamed 16/11/09
      145.   MAREE.Where does he admit to IDF having DONE anything 21:14  |  PETER SM 17/11/09
      146.   What the rabbi forgot 21:44  |  David 17/11/09
      147.   false prophets 22:36  |  Paul 17/11/09
      148.   This man... 13:32  |  Pablo Luis 18/11/09
      149.   no hope for peace with no mercy in sight. 21:30  |  Dana Ochoa 18/11/09
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