The governing body of the World Bnei Akiva Zionist youth movement chose not to fire or discipline its secretary-general, Rabbi Noam Perel – even though Perel called for mass murder of Arabs as revenge for the kidnapping and murder of three Zionist Orthodox teens by Hamas terrorists on the West Bank last month.
Above: Rabbi Noam Perel
World Bnei Akiva Refuses To Fire Or Discipline Top Rabbi Who Called For Mass Murder Of Arabs
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The governing body of the World Bnei Akiva Zionist youth movement chose not to fire or discipline its secretary-general, Rabbi Noam Perel, the Jerusalem Post reported – even though Perel called for mass murder of Arabs as revenge for the kidnapping and murder of three Zionist Orthodox teens by Hamas terrorists on the West Bank last month.
As previously reported, World Bnei Akiva’s Extended Secretariat met Wednesday to discuss possible disciplinary action against Perel.
But World Bnei Akiva did not issue a statement about the decisions made in that meeting Wednesday or Thursday.
Then this morning, World Bnei Akiva issued what the Jerusalem Post terms a “vague statement.” It accepted Perel’s apology, even though that apology, posted on Facebook last week, consisted primarily of claims that his words had been “misunderstood” due to their biblical and poetic style.
“[World Bnei Akiva’s Extended Secretariat] expresses its appreciation for Rav Noam’s dedication and hard work in the movement and accepts his honest apology,” the statement reportedly says.
The British branch of World Bnei Akiva called for Perel’s ouster earlier this week and threatened to leave World Bnei Akiva if Perel wasn’t fired, and other branches strongly condemned Perel’s call for mass murder – except the US branch, which issued a weak condemnation that accepted Perel’s non-apology apology.
In today’s statement, the World Bnei Akiva Extended Secretariat reportedly called for the movement’s professional leadership – i.e., Perel – to “establish a forum of representatives from around the world to advise on appropriate responses and next steps to address present challenges and to spread our message of love of humanity.”
Perel clearly called for was the indiscriminate murder of Arabs by the IDF, which, he wrote, should be turned into an “army of avengers.”
"An entire nation and thousands of years of history demand revenge. The government of Israel is gathering for a revenge meeting that isn't a grief meeting. The landlord has gone mad at the sight of his sons' bodies. A government that turns the army of searchers to an army of avengers, an army that will not stop at 300 Philistine foreskins. The disgrace will be paid for with the blood of the enemy, not with our tears,” Perel wrote on his own Facebook page and on the Facebook page of World Bnei Akiva emissaries, referencing the biblical story of David, who killed 200 Philistines and gave their foreskins to King Saul as the bride price to marry Saul’s daughter.
Perel’s comment was met by widespread disgust, including the following response on Facebook.
"I'm ashamed of the movement I grew up in. I'm pained that you make me ashamed of Judaism, because you speak in its name.”
Perel removed his comment from both Facebook pages and later issued a clarification where he claimed his words had been “misunderstood” because of their biblical and poetic style.
Perel is a 44-year-old West Bank settler rabbi and yeshiva head.
Many long time World Bnei Akiva activists claim the movement, which was once moderate and even liberal, has been "hijacked" by more extreme right wing settlers and their supporters in the US.
Earlier this week, the most senior Zionist Orthodox rabbi in Israel, Haim Druckman, the head of Bnei Akiva's network of Israeli yeshivas who has become notorious in child protection circles for defending and even enabling rabbis who sexually abuse children, came out in defense of Perel, arguing that Perel should not be fired or disciplined for his remarks – in large part because, Druckman claimed, Perel only asked the army to take this revenge, not civilians. Druckman also essentially claimed that no IDF soldier would act without orders from his commanding officer.
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