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Topics: News, World News, LGBTQ
Charisa Bossinakis
Topics: News, World News, LGBTQ
The Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem has blamed the LGBTQI+ community for the 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude quakes that struck Turkey and Syria last month.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the Sephardic Chief Rabbi and former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar has slammed the queer community in his latest sermon.
The rabbi read a passage from Talmud to support his bizarre claim, in which he attributed the deadly earthquake to the push for LGBTQI+ rights in the Middle East.
However, he took no accountability for his claims and put the onus on the Lord's word.
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"It's not me interpreting, it's the language of the Gemara," he said, quoting from the Talmudic passage.
"God said you are shocking your people for something that is not yours."
Israeli news anchor Ori Qual was quick to slam to the rabbi and his comment during a broadcast on the nation's Channel 13 nightly news program.
"As a gay man, Rabbi Amar, and as someone who was sent on behalf of this channel to Turkey to cover the earthquakes, it's good to know that in your opinion, I and my community members are responsible for this disaster," he said.
"Perhaps at the same time, you can blame us (the LGBTQ+ community) for the cost of living and inflation?”
He added that religious leaders like Rabbi Amar shouldn’t receive a salary from taxpayer money.
However, this is just Rabbi Amar’s latest controversial statement over the past few years.
In 2021, the rabbi took aim at the Jerusalem Pride Parade and likened those who march to ‘wild animals’, as per The Times of Isarel.
In 2016, the religious leader described homosexuality as a ‘cult of abomination’ while claiming that Jewish law meant that LGBTQI+ people should face the death penalty, as per BBC News.
He went on to say that homosexuality was 'a wild lust that needs to be overcome’ and that queer individuals should be able to control their urges.
His comments copped immense backlash.
Three groups representing religious LGBT+ Jews – Bat-Kol, Havruta and the Gay Religious Community made a joint statement: “Rabbi Amar, with your harsh comments you called on our families to vomit us out of our homes and from our communities.”
The Anti-Defamation League also condemned the leader as well: “Jerusalem chief Rabbi Amar’s hateful comments about the #LGBTQ community are antithetical to Jewish values of tolerance and acceptance.
"Religious leaders should respect all people and positively engage with the entire community.”