Statement from the LJS Rabbis on the Beit Samueli Synagogue attack in Ra'anana.

On Tuesday evening, the Eve of Yom Ha-Zikkaron, a day of solemnity and grief, recalling those whose lives have been lost during Israel’s many conflicts and wars, participants at the Beit Samueli Synagogue in Ra’anana, Israel, were watching the live streaming of the 20th Israeli-Palestinian Joint Memorial Ceremony, entitled  ‘Choosing Humanity, Choosing Hope.’ The ceremony is a deeply moving testimony to the earnest desire of Palestinians and Israelis to honour the losses on both sides of this conflict, to mourn together and to affirm humanity and hope.

It was during the live screening of this ceremony that Jewish rioters stormed the synagogue, hurled abuse, threw rocks and stones, harming some of the participants who required hospital treatment, including the Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Centre, Orly Erez-Likhovski.

The LJS condemns the violence and abuse, which is a stain on the moral aspirations of Jews all over the world. It is a travesty of all that Judaism represents - its prophetic values of justice, compassion, truth and peace.

We align ourselves with words expressed by all those who spoke as part of the ceremony on Tuesday evening – Jews and Palestinians, united in grief and mourning, in humanity and hope.

And we affirm the words of Rabbi Chen ben Or Tsfoni, who was present at Beit Samueli during the attack: ‘It is natural, after such a night, to feel anger or even hatred. But we must resist. We must not let hatred claim our hearts. If we give in to that darkness, our Judaism—built on compassion —will be defeated.’