A viral video circulating across social media platforms claims that Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi openly suggesting that the rabbi justified killing children during discussions about war and terrorism.
The short clip has generated strong reactions online, particularly amid ongoing tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, a review of the original livestream from which the clip was taken shows that the viral caption misrepresents the context of Mizrachi’s remarks.
Social Media Posts
A short video clip circulating widely online shows Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi discussing war, terrorism, and the killing of civilians. Viral captions often frame the clip with statements such as: “Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi declares: ‘Murdering children is A-OK.’”
In the viral clip, Mizrachi states:
“But if you don’t kill those supposedly innocent kids what would happen later? This one would kill fifty Jews… they will become terrorists one way or another… that’s what the Torah says… do not have mercy on the children…”
The video is typically presented as evidence that the rabbi is advocating violence against children. This clip with the similar claims have also been shared on TikTok and Instagram.
Fact Check
Context of the Original Video
The viral clip comes from a YouTube livestream lasting nearly two hours where Mizrachi discussed topics related to Jewish law (Halacha), biblical history, and spiritual teachings, framed around recent Jewish events and announcements. The speaker combined Torah sources, oral traditions, and contemporary reflections to explore deep religious and ethical theme. The footage is taken from a livestream titled “Erase The Memory Of Amalek” broadcast on February 2, 2016
Within this lecture, he refers to biblical passages and theological arguments about enemies who seek to destroy the Jewish people.
In the relevant segment, Mizrachi refers to the biblical command concerning Amalek, an enemy nation described in the Hebrew Bible. In the Book of 1 Samuel, King Saul is instructed to completely destroy Amalek, including men, women, children, and animals. The story is often cited in religious discussions about warfare and divine justice in ancient Israelite tradition.
During the lecture, Mizrachi draws a comparison between this biblical narrative and modern militant groups that deliberately target civilians. His argument is framed within a religious interpretation of existential threats, rather than a direct call for violence against children.
Another part of the same lecture discusses extremist ideologies that glorify killing civilians. In that segment, Mizrachi describes what he claims are the motivations of terrorists who believe they will receive heavenly rewards for killing Jews.
In the video, he says that such beliefs are the result of “brainwashing” and describes them as a “foolish stupid belief.” He further states that those who shed “a drop of blood of the children of God” will face severe punishment in hell.
Why the Viral Claim Is Misleading
The viral posts typically isolate a short portion of the lecture while removing the surrounding statements that clarify the argument being made.
In particular, edited clips frequently omit the lines in which Mizrachi calls the belief “brainwashing” and warns of divine punishment for killing children. Without this context, viewers may interpret the remarks as an endorsement of violence rather than a critique of extremist ideology.
Additionally, the widely circulated caption claiming that Mizrachi declared “murdering children is A-OK” does not appear in the original lecture. The phrase appears to have been added by social media users summarizing or paraphrasing the clip rather than quoting his actual words.
Who Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi Is
Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi is an Orthodox Jewish outreach speaker based in Monsey, New York, known for delivering lectures on Jewish theology and ethics that are widely distributed online.
He has built a large following through thousands of online lectures aimed at encouraging greater religious observance among Jewish audiences.
At the same time, Mizrachi has also been a controversial figure. Several of his past statements have drawn criticism from Jewish leaders and scholars. For example, he previously claimed that fewer than one million Jews killed in the Holocaust were Jewish according to religious law. The remark contradicted the widely accepted figure of six million and drew condemnation from historians and Jewish organizations (Source). He later issued an apology for it.
Conclusion
The viral video clip of Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi has been presented online as if he explicitly declared that “murdering children is A-OK.” However, reviewing the full February 2016 livestream shows that this phrasing does not appear in his talk and that the widely shared excerpt is missing surrounding context.
In the longer segment, Mizrachi frames the discussion around biblical narratives and the concept of existential enemies. Elsewhere in the same lecture, he describes the idea of killing children as “brainwashing” and warns of severe divine punishment for those who shed the blood of children. Because the viral posts rely on a shortened excerpt and an added caption, the clip can be interpreted in ways that do not reflect the broader context of his remarks.
Title:Did Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi Declare that “Murdering Children is A-OK”?
Fact Check By: PranpreeyaResult: Misleading
