‘Kaddish for Gaza’ tour leader sacked

A YOUTH leader who took part in the controversial kaddish prayer for Palestinians has been dropped from leading a tour of Israel this summer.

UJIA said it would now not be possible for Nina Morris-Evans to lead a group of participants from Reform Judaism’s RSY-Netzer youth group because her actions had shown “there is such a thing as going too far”.

The Reform movement said on Monday it would not be in “the best interests of the participants” for her to take part.

Ms Morris-Evans was among the group of young Jews who recited kaddish outside Parliament in May, causing a furious reaction.

Reform Judaism said many of its members “were disturbed” to see the prayer being recited for 62 people killed in the violence on Gaza’s border with Israel, at least 50 of whom were Hamas terrorists.

On Monday, Michael Wegier, chief executive of UJIA — which runs the Israel tours — said: “While we support a wide range of Zionist youth movements covering a broad set of ideological positions, there is a blue and white thread running through all that we do — meaning that sometimes there is such a thing as going too far.”

After attending the kaddish Ms Morris-Evans had written an article in which she claimed: “Who these people were — or what group they were affiliated to — is an insignificant issue compared to the reality of their murder.”

Initially UJIA said she would have to take part in a mentoring process before she would be allowed to lead the tour, but Monday’s statements made clear that “over the course of extensive dialogue” it had “unfortunately become clear” this could not happen.

A joint statement from UJIA, Reform Judaism and RSY-Netzer added: “We cannot arrive at a position of certainty that her leading tour is in the best interests of the participants.”

Ms Morris-Evans declined to comment.

There is such a thing as going too far’