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Attack on the Latrun Monastery

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Rabbi Gilad Kariv: "We, the Reform and Progressive communities of Israel, with the help of IRAC, our rabbis and our activists, will continue to fight against any acts of racism in Israel, especially those done while taking the name of Judaism in vain."

Vandals set fire to the entrance door of the Latrun Monastery early Tuesday and spray-painted slogans against the Christian religion on its walls, including names of West Bank outposts and "Jesus is a monkey". (See: Tuesday’s Ynetnews; Wednesday’s follow-up article.)

"As a rabbi and as an Israeli citizen I am ashamed today and I am deeply troubled by the fact that this is not the first time that such an event takes place in Israel, " Rabbi Gilad Kariv, the head of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, told Reuters Television. "We need to make sure that the other faiths, other communities feel secure here," Kariv added. (Reuters)

Israel's Reform movement leader denounced the attack. "The attack on the monastery is additional proof that Israeli society is experiencing a wave of racism," he said. (Ha'aretz)

Rabbi Kariv’s was also interviewed on the IBA news in English. Watch the video here.