Rabbi's offensive remarks on Hinduism prompt Israeli envoy's apology
Rabbi Yossi Mizrahi made offensive comments about Indians and Hindu beliefs. Following the backlash, Israeli Consul General Yaniv Revach condemned him and apologized to Indians.
After the controversy surrounding the objectionable comments made by Israeli-origin Jewish religious leader Rabbi Yossi Mizrahi about Hinduism and Indians, Yaniv Revach, the Consul General of Israel in India, has apologized. He strongly condemned Mizrahi's comments, stating that they do not represent the views of the Jewish community or Israel.
In a statement released on the social media platform X on October 30, Revach apologized to Indians and Hindus. He described Mizrahi's comments as extremely offensive and expressed his disgust at them. He also claimed that mainstream Jewish communities in Israel and the UK have distanced themselves from Mizrahi and have not accepted him among them. However, this is Revach's claim, and there has been no separate confirmation from the relevant Jewish organizations in available news.
In his message, Revach also referred to the long-standing relationship between India and Israel. He stated that the Jewish and Israeli communities respect India and its religious beliefs. Mizrahi's comments are damaging the friendly relations between the two countries. Therefore, he rejected these statements while apologizing to Indians.
What did Mizrahi say about cows and Hindu beliefs?
The entire controversy began with a video of Rabbi Yossi Mizrahi that circulated on social media. In it, he made several objectionable comments regarding Hindus' reverence for cows. He claimed that some people in India drink cow urine and even lick it off the ground after it falls.
Mizrahi also mentioned some Indian doctors, claiming that they do the same. However, these are his own claims, and no independent evidence has emerged to support them.
In the video, he also referred to cows roaming the streets of Delhi. His comments mocked the religious beliefs of Indians and their reverence for cows. Following the release of the video, there was a sharp reaction on social media in India. His remarks were also criticized in Israel.
It is noteworthy that expressing disagreement or criticism of a religion's beliefs is one thing, but making derogatory and mocking comments about a community's faith is another. This is a major reason for the controversy surrounding Mizrahi's comments.
Who is Rabbi Yossi Mizrahi?
Yossi Mizrahi is a Jewish religious leader of Israeli origin living in the United States. He is a promoter of Orthodox Judaism and runs a social media page called 'Divine Information'.
The Israeli Consul General Yaniv Revach has described Mizrahi as a radical and a Holocaust denier in his statement. These are allegations made by Revach. Mizrahi's current response to his comments has not been reported in available news.
Mizrahi has previously been embroiled in controversies due to statements made regarding the Holocaust. The Holocaust refers to the systematic murder of approximately 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II.
Mizrahi has also made controversial statements about the Holocaust
In December 2015, Mizrahi made a false claim regarding the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust. He allegedly stated that the number of Jews who died in this genocide was less than 1 million, while historical research and documents indicate that Nazi Germany and its collaborators killed around 6 million Jews.
His statement faced criticism, and he later apologized. Such claims regarding the facts of the Holocaust have been a serious point of contention among historians and the Jewish community.
In December 2016, 16 Orthodox Jewish rabbis also criticized Mizrahi's methods of promotion. Subsequently, in March 2019, there was also controversy regarding his proposed religious programs in the UK.
During Narendra Modi's tenure, efforts have been made to strengthen relations between Israel and India, with Netanyahu visiting India and Narendra Modi also visiting Israel. Especially during the massacre in Gaza, where Israel faced condemnation worldwide, an official silence was maintained in India, and government-supported organizations and groups openly supported Israel. Some groups even offered to go to Israel to fight against the Palestinians. Recently, the Israeli ambassador was also present as a special guest at the RSS's Dussehra event.
In this context, Mizrahi's statement serves as a reminder that Zionist Jews consider not only Christians and Muslims but also Hinduism as inferior. While political relations may have formed out of necessity, contradictions like these will continue to arise due to the Zionist tendency to consider themselves superior.