Violence disrupts shared grief on Israel’s Memorial Day

The deep divisions in Israeli society were dramatically illustrated by reactions to the annual joint Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) ceremony last week.

For the Israelis and Palestinians who participitated, the joint mourning is an opportunity to overcome hate and move towards a shared future, as Ittay Flescher and Hannah Chester reported for The Jewish Independent. .

But the ceremony also drew violent protest and exposed a lack of political willingness to stand up against extremism.

Protesters against the ceremony broke into a synagogue which was screening the ceremony, with eyewitnesses reporting that stones were hurled, objects thrown, and fireworks set off nearby. The activists reportedly chased attendees, shouting “May your village burn” and “Go to Gaza.”

The offenders were among dozens of right-wing activists protesting outside the Beit Samueli synagogue, home to a Reform congregation in Ra’anana.

As the violence and threats escalated, attendees were forced to flee for their lives. Police began evacuating the viewers in small groups towards their vehicles while dozens of right-wing protesters continued to pursue them. In video footage, the mob can be seen chanting “Death to terrorists,” “Not in our country,” and “All Arabs are whores.”

Despite advance warnings of the planned attack, police initially dispatched only a single patrol car. Later, the police reported that only three individuals had been detained, and they were released shortly afterwards.