Trembling Before G-d
Unbelievable, but sadly unsurprising. Maybe they don’t teach plate tectonics in Shas schools.
Shas MK Shlomo Benizri blamed gays Wednesday for the earthquakes that have shaken the region in recent months, telling a Knesset plenum debate on local authorities’ earthquake preparedness that government action on homosexuality would do much to prevent the tremors.
Benizri said the government should not make do with reinforcing buildings, but should instead pass less legislation that encourages homosexuality and other “perversions like adoptions by lesbian couples.”
The ultra-Orthodox party MK invoked passages from the Talmud and the Gemarrah to support his claims.
The Jerusalem Post adds further details:
Homosexuals caused Israel’s last earthquake, Shas MK Shlomo Benizri said Wednesday.
During a special Knesset session on earthquakes, Benizri said he proposed that the Knesset “find a way to prevent mishkav zachar [sexual relations between men], and thus save [us] a lot of earthquakes.”
MK Ophir Paz-Pines (Labor) responded to Benizri’s statements by saying that MK Nissim Ze’ev should be banned from the Shas faction because of his influence on his party members.
Last week, Ze’ev told faction members that “homosexuals were poisoning society,” and that “homolesbianism legitimized the state of Israel’s ‘self destruction.’”
At least Benizri seems to hate pluralistically. A bunch of years ago he seems to have made the news for complaining about foreign workers and saying, “”I just don’t understand why a restaurant needs a slant-eye to serve me my meal.” In March 2006 Benizri was charged by the State Prosecutor’s Office with accepting bribes worth millions of shekels and breaching the public trust.
Lovely.
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I nominate this post for best title of the year.
—zt · February 20th, 2008 at 11:42 am
you may dsagree with the way he uses it, but the quote he made from the gemara is a true quote – the gemara truly does blame earthquakes on homosexuals, not by claiming they have some kind of magical ower and evil plans against mankind as Haaretz tried to make it sound, but as a punishment for the existance of the sin in the world – just as the gemara lists many other such causes and effects.
while i dont share his opinion in the current case, and think that trying to act on that “meimra” as an actual guideline to the governmentis more than a bit oversimplistic, i think that in the wider view mocking somone for believing that there are spiritual reasons for things and not just practical ones is a view that doesnt fit very well with the classic jewish sources.
—Sh · February 20th, 2008 at 11:42 am
(1) I second the nomination.
(2) Not everything in the Gemara should be turned into legislation. If it were, the shas people would have a hard time taking bribes.
—Amit · February 20th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
you may dsagree with the way he uses it, but the quote he made from the gemara is a true quote
Nu? I didn’t say anything about whether or not the Gemara was correct. There are lots of terrible (and wonderful) things that can be pulled from the Gemara out of context. What I said, or implied, was that it was shameful– and much more than “more than a bit oversimplistic”– for a Knesset member to say such a thing.
… in the wider view mocking somone for believing that there are spiritual reasons for things and not just practical ones is a view that doesnt fit very well with the classic jewish sources
I’m not mocking a belief that there are spiritual causes for things in the world. I believe that myself in some ways. I’m upset with government employee Benizri’s pulling out this particular gem to advance his hateful agenda, especially where it was irrelevant. The discussion he was supposed to be engaging in as a public servant was about strengthening buildings against earthquakes, not about Israeli personal status law.
—Rooftopper Rav · February 20th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
As usual, the Dead Milkmen were right about everything:
“They’re good fine people, Stuart. But they don’t know what the queers are doing to the soil.” (from the song “Stuart”)
—Count Raffulon · February 20th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Also, I’m not one for gay porn, but last week I saw some really hot, all girl-on-girl action and it totally ROCKED my world.
Thanks, here all night folks!
—Count Raffulon · February 20th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
If the prohibition is against “mishkav zachar” what’s wrong with two guys doing it while standing up? The pshat says only that you shouldn’t lie with another man as with a woman.
—Just Wondering · February 20th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
[...] was going to post about the earthquakin’ queers, but Rooftopper Rav beat me to it. What I would like to point out, however, is the juxtaposition of two articles currently on the [...]
—Jewschool » Blog Archive » Battle of the Gays · February 20th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Also, does anyone else think it’s hysterical that Ha’aretz says Benizri quoted both the Talmud and the Gemara?
—Rooftopper Rav · February 20th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
If the prohibition is against “mishkav zachar†what’s wrong with two guys doing it while standing up?
It could lead to…. oh right, not an issue.
—BZ · February 20th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Girl, that’s right! I bring on tremors! In more ways than one! I love how powerful I’ve become that I bring on earthquakes! LOL. Pure. Comedy.
—Cole Krawitz · February 20th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
If Israel is a rockin’ dont come a knockin’.
—Johnny · February 22nd, 2008 at 9:17 am
[...] was going to post about the earthquakin’ queers, but Rooftopper Rav beat me to it. What I would like to point out, however, is the juxtaposition of two articles currently on the [...]
—Blame the Gays! « Oy is Yo, Backwards · March 28th, 2008 at 12:04 am