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Source: https://t.me/pravdaGerashchenko_en/28485
Chief rabbi of Ukraine @RabbiUkraine writes on his Facebook page:
"The first photo shows my grandchildren hiding from Russian terrorists' missiles in Kyiv region in the first days of the terrible invasion of Ukraine.
Later, together with thousands of people, we evacuated them to Israel and Europe.
In the second photo, the same people are hiding from Hamas terrorists' missiles.
Two different parts of the world, but such a common pain and struggle... My heart breaks to see these faces, but I believe that the light of truth and faith will help us to go through these challenges
I pray to the Almighty to bring down his anger and fury on all those involved in the terror of civilians!"
I'm full of compassion for him and his family. But as an important religious figure, publicly saying that you pray for the fury and anger of your God to go down on your enemies is awful. I understand the sentiment. I understand the anger, I do. But praying for something negative to happen - especially when you are supposed to lead other people - cannot be the right way to go.
Pray for the war to end. Pray for peace. Pray for Hamas to understand their wrongdoings. Pray for the terrorists to realize what they are doing. Pray for them to stop and beg forgiveness. If you want, pray for God to judge them. But praying for violence isn't what prayer should be used for.
Have you read the old testament?
I know what you mean. But that should be the distinction between religious extremists and "mainstream" religious leaders, shouldn't it? Extremists tend/can promote the negative, brutal, violent parts of their scripture. The modern-moderate mainstream approach is usually to focus on the unifying, loving, connecting, forgiving aspect. And this is why his statement pisses me off so much. Being the representative of the Jewish community in Ukraine, speaking for/to this community, advocating the violent aspects of your religion's scripture is an awful move.
Some Jews are now openly talking about forcing a destitute and oppressed people to wander into exile. At least initially, through the Egyptian Desert.
And don't see the irony at all.
Shh we don't do that one or talk about it anymore! /S
Jewish fundamentalists are radical extremists. This sort of rhetoric isn't rare coming out from this community, nor is it ever frowned upon. They get away with it for obvious reasons.