TEL AVIV - The Israel Defense Forces' chief rabbi told students in a pre-army yeshiva program recently that soldiers who "show mercy" toward the enemy in wartime will be "damned", Haaretz, reported.
Brig. Gen. Avichai Rontzki also told the students that religious people make better combat troops.
Speaking at a West Bank settlement, Rontzki referred to Maimonides' discourse on the laws of war, quoting a passage from the Book of Jeremiah stating: "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord with a slack hand, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."
"In times of war, whoever doesn't fight with all his heart and soul is damned - if he keeps his sword from bloodshed, if he shows mercy toward his enemy when no mercy should be shown," said Rontzki.
Rontzki also referred specifically to the Israel Defense Forces' conduct during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.
"Thank God that the people of Israel has united recently around the simple understanding of how it must fight. One of the major innovations of that offensive was the conduct of war - not as some kind of mission or detention."
"We all remember the beginning of the war, with a major attack of 80 planes bombing various places, and then artillery, mortar and tank fire and so forth, as in war," he said. "Everyone fought with all their heart and soul, and that includes bravery of course, but also fighting with all the resources one has - to fight as if to truly determine the mission," he added.
"In Israel's wars, warriors are God-fearing people, righteous people, people who don't have sins on their hands," he said.
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