Israeli Deputy Minister: 'Even Gay Jews Have A Higher Soul Than Gentiles'

Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs, Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan, from the settler party Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) gave an interview (Heb) to the Israeli daily Ma’ariv yesterday on his party’s stance against gay marriage. Personally, I couldn’t decide which headline I should go with on this one: his racism against non-Jews, or his contempt for gays. It was a lose-lose situation.

Here’s a snippet from the interview. Remember, this man is a high ranking government official in the only democracy in the Middle East.

What will you do if the Knesset votes on a bill legalizing gay marriage?

No way. Also, a Jew cannot marry a gentile. Is that the same thing?

We don’t recognize either of them. And anyway, a Jew always has a much higher soul than a gentile, even if he’s gay.