Israeli Rabbi Blesses Spies' 'Honeytrap' Sex

It's kosher for women working for Israel's spy agency to trade sex for national security, according to an Israeli rabbi. Rabbi Ari Shvat's study concluded that so-called "honeytrap" sting missions, which have repeatedly been used by Mossad, don't violate Jewish law, ABC reports. The rabbi noted that similar missions can be found in Biblical lore. "Queen Esther, who was Jewish, slept with the Persian King Ahasuerus around 500 BC to save her people," he wrote.

The rabbi says, however, that if it is necessary to use a married woman for such a mission, it would be best if her husband divorced her first and remarried her afterward. No similar rules were outlined for male agents. Asked if the Mossad was following his guidelines, the rabbi said: “It would be pretty sad if they weren’t.” (More Mossad stories.)