Israeli rabbi gives blessings to IDF soldier for raping Palestinian prisoner

An Israeli Jewish rabbi gave blessings to a soldier from the occupation army accused of raping a Palestinian prisoner, who was abducted from Gaza. He declared the soldier as "innocent."

The rabbi, Meir Mazuz, is reportedly close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet.

A video circulating on social media showed the rabbi assuring the Israeli soldier that he had committed no crime and should not fear any repercussions.

“What did you do? You beat the enemy, so what?” the rabbi told the soldier. “Be a brave warrior and do not fear the non-Jews,” he added.

Previously, the Israeli soldier accused of raping a Palestinian inmate had been invited as a guest on programs aired by Israeli TV channels.

Translation of a video featuring senior Israeli rabbi Meir Mazuz's defence of a Jewish rapist. https://t.co/PQLzZ68QPe pic.twitter.com/DsfEGuFmf7

— Abū Isrā’īl (@JudaismUnveiled) September 8, 2024

In July, news of the gang rape of a Palestinian prisoner sparked outrage among pro-Palestinian activists, leading the Israeli army to arrest ten soldiers on charges of sexually assaulting the prisoner.

Riots erupted in Israel on July 29 after far-right settlers stormed two army bases in an attempt to free Israeli soldiers detained for sexually abusing a Palestinian inmate.

Doctors who visited the Israeli prison reported that the victim showed horrific signs of assault on his body.

The Palestinian prisoner was returned to the detention center, while five of the nine soldiers have been released by Israeli military courts.

These heinous acts of torture are not isolated to Sde Teiman but are reportedly widespread across other Israeli prisons as well.

Despite grave concerns cited by human rights organisations over the brutal treatment of Palestinian prisoners, Israeli authorities have refused to disclose the total number of Palestinians detained since October 7.