Rabbi Says Gays Should Die
Rainbow Network,
February 7, 2002
A leading Jewish cleric has called for homosexuals to be killed. The
statements have come in the week that members of leading lesbian and gay
groups are to meet Israel’s prime minister Ariel Sharon.
Rabbi David Batzri told the Israeli Ma’ariv newspaper that homosexuals
should be "put to death" according to Jewish religious law.
Batzri added: "Homosexuals and lesbians are not only a sickness, they
are an abomination which should be removed from every city in the country,
also from those districts where they feel protected, like in Tel Aviv."
Batzri’s comments have caused outrage.
Reform Rabbi Uri Regev said, "the only abomination here are the words
of Batzri, and not the existence of homosexuals and lesbians, who are part of
the world created by the will of God".
Batzri’s remarks follow news that members of the Political Council for
Gay Rights in Israel will meet with prime minister Ariel Sharon next week. It
is the first time such a gathering has taken place.
The meeting follows a discussion with president Moshe Katzav last year.
PCGRI representative Menahem Shizaf said: "We see those meetings with the
president and prime minister as an accomplishment and an important message to
the public."
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