Tel-Chai Nation

This article on Israel National News tells of a very surprising thing the IDF intends to do: to emboss the Ten Commandments on Korans given to Muslims who serve in the military:

(IsraelNN.com) The IDF Rabbinate intends to emboss its emblem on military-issued Korans, according to IDF journal BaMachaneh. This may be the first time in history that an overtly Jewish symbol – the emblem of the Israel Defense Force Rabbinate – will be embossed on Muslim holy books. The Rabbinate’s emblem depicts the Tablets of the Ten Commandments, as well as the sword and olive branches that appear in numerous IDF logos.

The IDF provides Korans for its Muslim soldiers. These include Bedouins, as well as non-Bedouin Muslim Arabs, who have served in the IDF as trackers and in other combat roles since its earliest days.

The idea for embossing the emblem on IDF Korans was brought up by the Chief Jewish Chaplain for the French Army, Maj.-Gen. Rabbi Haim Corsia, who visited the IDF last week. Corsia noticed that the IDF Rabbinate emblem is embossed upon the prayer books that the army hands out to religious Jewish soldiers, but does not appear on military Korans.

Rabbi Corsia pointed out the matter to the IDF’s Chief Rabbi, Brig.-Gen. Avichai Ronsky, who promised to fix the situation, the military magazine reported.

“Not having the Military Rabbinate’s emblem on the Koran is a mistake," Rabbi Corsia said. “If the IDF issues Korans to Muslim soldiers, that means the Koran is part of the army. I look at the Book of Tehillim (Psalms) and it has the stamp, but the Koran does not. In the French army this would not happen. This is an area in which we can help the IDF."

There are surely a few ways this can be interpreted. On the one hand, one could say that this is a perfect way of backlashing against Islam for its hatemongering. On the other hand, I think that to put a Jewish symbol upon books of a hatemongering religion is a very stupid idea. I think it'd be a good idea thus to remind of one of the Koran's most creepy verses:

"Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks..." (Qur'an 47:4).

Now should the Rabbinate of the IDF - any Rabbinate for that matter - be putting its stamp upon something as vile as that? I think not.

Let this serve as an example of PC-stupidity that is plaguing some of Israel's most important systems.

Edit: oh, and how could I have forgotten: how can the Rabbinate put their stamp on something that promotes...anti-semitism?

Labels: islam, Israel, military