TEL AVIV - A rabbi in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Monday released a book giving Jews permission to kill Gentiles who threaten Israel, the daily newspaper Haaretz reported.
Rabbi Yitzhak Shapiro heads the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva in the Yitzhar Jewish settlement.
According to his book "The King's Torah", even babies and children can be killed if they pose a threat to Israel.
Shapiro based the majority of his teachings on passages quoted from the Bible, to which he adds his opinions and beliefs, Haaretz reported.
"It is permissible to kill the Righteous among Nations even if they are not responsible for the threatening situation," he wrote, adding: "If we kill a Gentile who has sinned or has violated one of the seven commandments - because we care about the commandments - there is nothing wrong with the murder."
According to Haaretz, several prominent rabbis, including Rabbi Yithak Ginzburg and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, have recommended the book to their students and followers.
Anti-Muslim backlash raises fears in US