A group of Orthodox Jews was filmed on Tuesday as they spat and shouted at Christian pilgrims carrying the four species through Jerusalem’s Old City.
The incident sparked public outcry, as it was not the first of its kind and took place on Sukkot – what Christians call the Feast of Tabernacles – when hundreds of thousands of Christians come to Israel to celebrate.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly condemned any attack on religious believers.
“We will show zero tolerance against those who harm worshipers,” he said, stressing, “we will take immediate and decisive measures against these acts.
“Offensive behavior towards worshipers is blasphemy and is unacceptable,” Netanyahu stated.
“Israel is fully committed to maintaining the sacred right of worship and pilgrimage to the holy sites of all religions.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen issued an equally stern statement.
“I condemn the ugly act of spitting on Christians and harming any person due to their religion or beliefs. This phenomenon does not represent the values of Judaism.”
“Freedom of religion and tolerance are fundamental values in Israel,” he continued. “Hundreds of thousands of Christian tourists visit the Holy Land yearly to explore the sacred places important to them and us. I call upon all Israeli citizens to respect the traditions and beliefs of all those who enter the gates of Jerusalem, the holy city.”
קבוצה של צליינים יוצאת עם הצלב לרחוב שער האריות ונתקלת בקבוצה של מתפללים יהודים עם 4 המינים ואז מתחילות היריקות. ספרתי לפחות 7 בכמה שניות. pic.twitter.com/YjqaknATLw
— نير حسون Nir Hasson ניר חסון (@nirhasson) October 2, 2023
Similarly, the chief rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Lau, condemned the incident. He likewise stressed that “such unacceptable behaviors should not be associated with Jewish religious law in any way.”
Their comments were bolstered by the liberal community, including the Head of the Labor Party, Merav Michaeli, who said, “We must condemn [such acts], and we will continue to respect all the nations.”
The event occurred only two days after President Isaac Herzog reiterated Israel’s commitment to freedom of religion and worship in a video he produced for some 4,000 Christian visitors to the country in honor of the Feast of Tabernacles.
In the video, he tells Christians that “the State of Israel will always preserve freedom of religion and worship and sees you as welcome guests and brothers and sisters of ours.”
Herzog spoke against the backdrop of a series of anti-Christian attacks earlier this year, including one event near the Western Wall where ultra-Orthodox men shouted and spat on Evangelical Christians as they prayed for peace in Jerusalem. Although the incidents were isolated and were dealt with right away by Israel Police, when coupled with vandalism and violence against other sects in the Old City and up North, there was concern that protests could erupt around the Feast of Tabernacles.
In the video, he tells Christians that “the State of Israel will always preserve freedom of religion and worship and sees you as welcome guests and brothers and sisters of ours.”
Last month, International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ) President Juergen Buehler, whose organization plans the week-long Feast of Tabernacles celebration, said on a webinar that he feared anti-Christian sentiment was growing and that “I am concerned it could have an impact on the Feast [of Tabernacles].”
The incident on Tuesday morning fed into Buehler’s concern. Moreover, a spokesperson for ICEJ told the Post that protests are expected outside some of the feast’s events and that right-wing leaders tried to get officials to denounce the feat, but to no avail.
Israel must protect ‘all religious communities’
Herzog told Christian followers that Israel will “insist on protecting all religious communities” and that this commitment “goes to the very heart of who we are as a Jewish and democratic state, and it is not something we will ever compromise on.”
Herzog’s video was played Sunday evening for the Christian visitors – day three of the Feast of Tabernacles celebration.
On Wednesday at 3 p.m., thousands of Christians are expected to take to the streets for the Jerusalem March. Visitors from more than 100 nations will dress in national costumes, carry signs quoting the Bible, and express their support for Jerusalem and Israel. Often, the marchers hand out national flags and other small souvenirs.
This is the 44th Feast of Tabernacles. Before COVID-19, close to 6,000 Christians would come to Israel for the occasion. During the pandemic, more than 7,000 took part online. As tourism has returned to Israel, the number of visitors is once again growing.
ICEJ Vice President David Parsons said that among this year’s 4,000 visitors is a high-level delegation from Fiji, including the deputy prime minister, who flew into Israel on a chartered plane and will hold meetings around its upcoming move of the country’s embassy to Jerusalem.
In addition, there are Christian visitors from Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries.
Herzog praised the Christians for coming to Jerusalem and sharing their “fraternal love of the Jewish people.”
He said, “Our Jewish tradition views this season during the Harvest Festival as a time of universality when all people reach for Divine abundance and blessing,” adding that in the Book of Zechariah, the “ingathering of the nations in Jerusalem” to celebrate Sukkot is described.
“Here, now, you are living out this vision,” the president said. “Today, we speak the same language of faith, language of blessing, language of peace, and language of love.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also sent a video address to the Christians, inviting more “Christian friends [to] come to Jerusalem to celebrate with us the Feast of Tabernacles.”
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