We are appalled by the ugly scenes from the Beit Samueli Reform Synagogue in Raanana last night.
Disagreement and debate are a vital part of Jewish discourse. But violence, abuse, and racist chanting should have no part.
To the local politicians who have been encouraging this disgraceful behaviour, we remind them that political leaders have a responsibility to contain, not inflame, such tensions.
We note that there have been a number of arrests in relation to the incident, which also comes on the heels of offensive graffiti scrawled on the walls of a Reform Synagogue in Netanya after Holocaust Remembrance Day.
We are clear that the Jewish state must cater to all streams of Judaism, and disagreements must be conducted with civility.
Phil Rosenberg
President
