Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has made comments in support of LGBT people after the inauguration of the Israeli parliament’s first openly gay speaker sparked backlash from rightwing MKs.
“Love your fellow as yourself, I am Hashem. Rabbi Akiva said of this mitzvah: This is a great principle in Torah,” the Chief Rabbi told Israel’s Channel 13, referencing the second-century Jerusalem Talmud.
“Every human being was created ‘in the image of Hashem’. This is how we must look at each and every one.
“We all know the [halachic] prohibitions, but at the same time, we forbid to hate,” he continued.
Amir Ohana, the Knesset’s first-ever openly gay speaker, was elected by a 63-5 vote by MKs on Thursday.
In the wake of the landmark vote, Mr Ohana told colleagues he would“pledge to do my best to be worthy of the trust you put in me”.
Images of two senior United Torah Judaism MKs looking away during the speech shed light on the fierce divisions in Israeli politics, including among the new governing coalition.
גפני ופרוש הורידו את הראש במכוון במהלך נאומו של יו״ר הכנסת אמיר אוחנה pic.twitter.com/Nvpc7AdmGD
— יקי אדמקר (@YakiAdamker) December 29, 2022
Jerusalem’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Shlomo Amar said MKs who voted to make Mr Ohana speaker were “a disgrace.”
Bnei Brak-based Sephardic Haredi Rabbi Meir Mazuuz also described Mr Ohana as “diseased” last week, participants of the annual Jerusalem Pride “beasts walking upright.”
“This whole thing with the abominations – today they’re glorified. For Shame. Such a disgrace. Woe to the ears that hear of such things.
“They appoint them to roles that are considered lofty. They have lost all of their shame,” he went on.
In light of the controversy, Ephraim Mirvis said that LGBTQ solidarity wasn’t a “liberal” view, but rather the “Torah’s position.”
רבה של בריטניה אפרים מירוויס אמר היום בעקבות הסערה סביב אמיר אוחנה: "יש לאהוב כל יהודי. חלילה לשנוא". pic.twitter.com/BZpXK33KG4
— Zvika Klein צביקה קליין (@ZvikaKlein) January 2, 2023
Rabbi Mirvis, who previously served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland, oversaw the publication of the first-ever guide for strictly-orthodox Jewish schools in Britain to help LGBTQ students.
“I wrote from a Torah point of view exactly how we should treat such difficult situations and how to guide youth in our communities from a halachic point of view in our schools,” he explained in 2018.
He also stressed that the project could aid LGBTQ pupils who want to “feel part of the religious world of Judaism” without prejudice.
The ceremony to electe the new speaker came after President Isaac Herzog held talks with new Minister of Public Security Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday regarding his concerns over plans to revise anti-discrimination laws in order to permit private companies and physicians to refuse services to LGBT people.
While President Herzog requested that Mr Ben-Gvir "be attentive to criticism surrounding the clause and to the treatment of all groups in Israel, including the LGBTQ and Arab communities,” the new minister and convicted racist said he had discussed the plans with supportive members of his party and assured the President they were not aiming at harming any members of the community.
