Orthodox rabbis curse Israel's gay pride parade
Pastor Dale Morgan
Orthodox rabbis curse Israel's gay pride parade*
Badatz rabbis distribute message that 'all sinners' involved in
Jerusalem pride march will 'feel a curse on their souls and evil will
pursue them.' Orthodox community plans mass protest against parade next
week; organizers expect 100,000 protestors
Neta Sela
The Orthodox Righteous Court of Law (Badatz) have placed a curse on the
organizers and particpicants in the gay pride parade scheduled to take
place in Jerusalem next Thursday. The curse also applied to police
forces that will secure the event.
Rabbis from the Orthodox Edah Haredit sector (Badatz) published a
message in Jerusalem on Sunday which read: "To all those involved,
sinners in spirit, and whoever helps and protects them, may they feel a
curse on their souls, may it plague them and may evil pursue them; they
will not be acquitted of their transgressions from heavenly judgment."
The Edah Haredit is an extreme body which has declared ideological
warfare against the "heretic Zionist government." Its members shun
Knesset votes, do not carry Israeli ID cards, and refuse allowances from
the government budget.
Edah Haredit rabbis warned Sunday that anyone who participates in the
gay parade will be hurt "in body, soul and finances."
The rabbis threatened participants citing the "success" of previous
curses: "Know what happened to the evil persons who were cursed, and
thus feel in your souls that your end will be bitter," the statement read.
"We are in a grave situation," wrote the editor of the Edah Haredit
mouthpiece, Rabbi Shmuel Pappenheim. In placing the curse, "The Badatz
acceded judgment to the heavens; they will be dealt with there."
Mass protest planned
Members of the Orthodox sector's community fully believe in the power of
the curses.
Community members expressed despair and resentment against their
treatment by Jerusalem's police force. In just this past month, they
said, Jerusalem district police chief Ilan Franco met with Badatz
members four times, yet failed to make any viable offer.
The meetings left the community feeling that "there was no one to talk
to," Pappenheim said, and led them to the last resort option of placing
a curse on the parade participants.
On Sunday of next week members of the community are planning to launch
protests against the pride parade. A mass demonstration is scheduled to
take place on Jerusalem's Bar Ilan Street, which will "shock and
agitate" the public according to posters. The protest's organizers
expect some 100,000 people to show up.
Noa Satat, head of the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance,
said in response: "The Orthodox curses and their refusal to commit to
non-violence prove that this is not just a pride parade but a fight for
Israeli democracy, freedom of expression and for the capital city, which
is everyone's city.
"We call on the mayor and prime minister to immediately condemn the
threats of violence and protect democracy in this country," she added.