‘Kaddish for Palestinians’
A GROUP of young Jewish activists gathered to say kaddish for the 62 Palestinians who were killed in clashes on the Gaza border.
Attended by more than 50 activists, the event in Parliament Square, Central London, was advertised on the Facebook page of Meretz UK, the British branch of the left-wing Israeli political party.
The vigil was planned last Tuesday and took place the following day, coinciding with Hamas claiming 50 of the dead as terror group operatives.
The names of each of the Palestinians killed in last week’s conflict were read aloud, before the mourning prayer was recited. Liberal Judaism’s Rabbi Leah Jordan led the memorial. The Liberal movement said it did not agree with her actions and that she had taken part in a personal capacity.
One of the speakers told the session:
“When Palestinians stand resolute on the Gazan border, their freedom and their right to return, they are not committing acts of terrorism, they are performing a mitzvah.”
A woman with an Israeli accent interrupted, saying “shame on you” before being escorted away by organisers.
Amid angry scenes, a man confronted demonstrators and said: “If you are Jewish, (Hamas) would have killed you”.
Attendees later claimed they had been “bullied” by right-wing critics.
The event was attended by staff and members of communal organisations including the Board of Deputies, Jewdas, RSY Netzer, Yachad and others.
One critic, David Collier, who blogs on antisemitism, wrote: “Some of these people are involved in summer camps that work with children. I wouldn’t want my children near anyone who is connected with this. They wanted to make the community angry. I think it is safe to say they succeeded.”
In a statement, organisers of the kaddish group told the JC: “We came together for this event, united by our grief for the deaths of so many and in our anger at the Jewish establishment’s failure to condemn the occupation and siege of Gaza that caused such violence.
“As community members of all ages, including rabbis, community leaders, and elected members of the Board of Deputies, we wanted to say loud and clear that this did not represent us.”