Dans La Presse

Terror in Paris: WUPJ Condemns Attack on Synagogue Perpetrated by Pro-Hamas Demonstrators

July 16, 2014 1:

On Sunday July 13, clashes erupted in Paris as thousands of people protested against Israel's Operation Protective Edge and in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Rioters surrounded the Don Yitzchak Abarbanel Synagogue and threw rocks into the house of worship. Media reports said that hundreds of Jews were trapped inside the synagogue and police units were sent to rescue them. The World Union For Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) and our 1.8 million members around the world are outraged by this spasm of anti-Semitic violence in the capital of France, birthplace of the Enlightenment.
In response to the riots, France's Progressive Jewish community is lending its support to the Jewish Federation of France's call on the government to ban pro-Hamas demonstrations. For while criticism of Israel's policies may be legitimate, attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions are criminal. We hope that the French government responds swiftly to ensure that the perpetrators of this crime are brought to justice.
Our hearts go out to the Jewish community of Paris and we call on all people of goodwill to help fight against racism and hatred wherever they confront it.
Rabbi Daniel Freelander, President-Elect, WUPJ
Michael Grabiner, Chairman, WUPJ
Miriam Kramer, Chairman, EUPJ
Stephane Beder, Vice Chair, EUPJ
Dr. Philip Bliss, WUPJ Advocacy Committee Chair