King'sTorah: "Murder of non-Jews and babies is OK"

I find the following BBC report very disturbing. It concerns a book called the King's Torah, which suggests that it is ok to kill non-Jews and even babies, if there is a chance that they may grow up to pose a threat.

The fifth chapter, entitled "Murder of non-Jews in a time of war" has been widely quoted in the Israeli media. The summary states that "you can kill those who are not supporting or encouraging murder in order to save the lives of Jews". At one point it suggests that babies can justifiably be killed if it is clear they will grow up to pose a threat.

www.bbc.co.uk...

Edit: Please do not turn this thread in to an anti-Semitic, or racist thread.

This was written by a rabbi. There are bad rabbis just like there are bad preachers, bad priests, and bad atheists.

Thinking this is somehow mainstream Judaism is equivalent of holding all Christians in the world accountable for the teachings of Tom Jones.

When I googled this, one of the first sites I found was a Jewish article saying this was a call to terrorism, and condemning it.

Uh oh I hear a racism debate comin on. Who's going to use the Zionist term first?

(this post doesn't count)

reply to post by Schkeptick


I understand what you are saying, there are extremists in all religions. I was surprised though that the two rabbis who endorsed the book have "strong support among ideological Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank", and "the wider religious community also took up their cause".

It is the secular Jews who have criticised the book, whereas the religious Jews have supported it.

reply to post by sean_uk


I agree - and I have studied Judaism a lot, so I see two unrelated things. I see on one hand a beautiful system of belief, the first monotheism (unless I am mistaken), a way of living that emphasizes the importance of life and behavior and absolute kindness, gentility, and moral behavior in every situation.

On the other hand I see extremist political behavior. I see Israel doing things to protect itself that are a total contradiction of the faith that is supposed to underpin all of it.

The Jews will always be hated - but it doesn't help when they act in such a way as to encourage it.

A truly religious Jew would be the kindest, most moral person you have ever met. Perhaps true Jews are as rare as true Christians?

reply to post by Schkeptick


It's reassuring to know that respected rabbis have spoken out against the book, and hopefully, I am sure that this kind of thinking will never enter into mainstream Judaism.

"The King's Torah" reflects a fringe viewpoint held by a minority of rabbis in the West Bank, said Avinoam Rosenak, a Hebrew University professor specializing in settler theology. Asher Cohen, a Bar Ilan University political science professor, thought its influence would be "zero" because it appeals only to extreme ideologues.

Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, one of the country's most respected rabbinic commentators, initially endorsed the book, but rescinded his approval a month after its release, saying that the book includes statements that "have no place in human intelligence."