IDF Chief Rabbi: Troops who show mercy to enemy will be 'damned'By Anshel Pfeffer, Ha'aretz, 15/11/2009
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."
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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