Rabbi Colonel Eyal Karim has been tapped to become the next IDF Chief Rabbi, to replace Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz.

Rabbi Karim is a graduate of Yeshivat Nachalim and entered the IDF as a paratrooper. He held a number of elite combat positions as an officer including commander of the paratroops as well as in another position in Sayeret Matkal. At some point he returned to his limud Torah in Merkaz HaRav and later served as the head of the Ateret Yerushalayim Mechina known by many as Ateret Kohanim. He is viewed by many as an expert in halachos pertaining to the military and wartime, and he has published a SHuT on the topic.

Those familiar with him explain he is unyielding when it comes to halacha and he will not be “anyone’s yes man” as Chief Rabbi of the IDF.

When former IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky accepted his post, the latter called on Rabbi Karim to serve as his assistant and he did, given the rank of colonel.

Rabbi Peretz is winding down six years in his post and is expected to soon announce when he will be stepping down to retire from the military.

There are already calls from the Arab List and Meretz parties in Knesset as well as women’s organizations to disqualify him from the post due to a psak halacha he wrote about decade ago pertaining to ‘Eishes Yifas Toar’ (‘אשת יפת תואר’), with opponents accusing Rabbi Karim of endorsing attacks against women during wartime. Needless to say the rav has since ‘explained’ his psak written in a sefer is just that, an explanation of a sugya and not practical halacha today. Nevertheless, Meretz leader MK Zahava Gal-On and others want him disqualified.

The belligerence of too many Israelis is only surpassed by their pro-secular values and a total lack of basic understanding of Torah and Chazal, as is seen in this accompanying Ynet English news banner headline.

Rabbi Karim grew up in Givatayim and his roots trace to Chassidei Karlin.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)