An Israeli-American rabbi has come under intense criticism after making derogatory remarks about Hindus’ religious reverence for cows. His comments mocking the consumption and medicinal use of cow urine have triggered widespread anger among Indian social media users.

According to an India Today report published on Friday (October 30), a video featuring the rabbi, identified as Yosef Mizrachi, went viral on social media this week, prompting strong reactions from various sections of Indian society.

Mizrachi also ridiculed the presence of cows on the streets of New Delhi, which often disrupt traffic. Following his remarks, many Indians described him as racist and accused him of insulting Hindu religious beliefs and traditions.

In the video, Mizrachi said, “Do you know about those Indians who worship cows? The Hindus. They lick cow urine from the floor. And the funny thing is that some of them are doctors.”

He then expressed gratitude to God for not making him like Indians.

India Today noted that Jewish communities have lived in India for more than 2,000 years, making the country one of the places where Jews have historically lived without facing antisemitism.

Over the past three decades, India and Israel have developed close strategic ties, cooperating in areas including defence, intelligence sharing, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, agriculture, water management, trade and technology. Earlier this year, the two countries elevated their bilateral relationship to a ‘Special Strategic Partnership’.

Despite these close relations, Mizrachi’s remarks about Indians have drawn strong criticism. One Indian social media user described his comments as “obscene and racist delusions”, while another called him a “racist psychopath”.

### What Did the Rabbi Say About Hindus?

At the beginning of the video, Mizrachi referred to an Indian man who had once worked on his Facebook page and expressed an interest in converting to Judaism.

Mizrachi said the man lived in India with his father and brother, who would bow before and worship cows.

He further claimed, “They would bring the cow into their living room. When the cow urinated or released liquid on the floor, they would lick it up.”

He also claimed that Indians purchase cow urine from pharmacies.

Mocking the possibility of doctors following such practices, Mizrachi joked that the next time someone visited a hospital in New Delhi, a doctor might approach them and say, “Good morning”, after drinking cow urine the previous night.

Mizrachi also made jokes about a cow named Suzy that was sitting in the middle of a road, leaving pedestrians stranded because they were afraid to move the animal.

Concluding his remarks, he said, “We are laughing about it, okay? But we are grateful to Him (God) that He did not make us like them.”

The video clip mocking Hindus subsequently went viral on X, triggering a wave of criticism across India.