Israel came to the defense of Canadian Jews. And what about the harm to Jews in Jerusalem? | Nachman Shai
Nachman Shai attacks the Israeli government for its silence in the face of repeated attacks on the Reform synagogue 'Kol Haneshama' in the Baka neighborhood of Jerusalem, while it firmly defends Canadian Jews. Shai, dean of the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, compares the incidents and asks why the government does not stand by the Reform community in Israel as it did for the community in Belleville, Ontario.
Nachman Shai sharply attacks the Israeli government for its resounding silence in the face of repeated attacks on the Reform synagogue 'Kol Haneshama' in the Baka neighborhood of Jerusalem. This is the fourth time in the past month that the synagogue has been attacked: on Rosh Hashanah, eggs were thrown at worshippers, and in previous incidents, windows were smashed and the pride flag was torn down. Shai compares the government's silence regarding the incidents in Jerusalem to its firm response to a violent incident at a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, where the prime minister promised that Israel stands firmly with the Jewish community. Shai asks: 'Is this not anti-Semitism? What is the difference between a synagogue there and a synagogue here?' He notes that Foreign Minister Sa'ar acted correctly, but the Minister of Internal Security and the Minister of Religious Affairs remained silent. Shai, who reveals his affiliation as dean of the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, the educational arm of the Reform movement, elaborates on the status of the Reform movement in Israel – about 120,000 people in 56 synagogues and centers – compared to hundreds of thousands of Orthodox synagogues. He mentions the unfulfilled promises to establish an egalitarian plaza at the Western Wall, and claims that the prime minister has disconnected from most Jewish organizations in the US, thereby losing Israel the support of one of its important players. Shai concludes: 'What begins with rotten eggs, torn flags, and broken windows does not stop there. These things must be eliminated when they are small.'