The following is via OnlySimchas.com:
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke at Park East Synagogue on Saturday, just days after he angered Israel by stating “it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism”.
Netanyahu immediately responded by saying that Ban was a defender of terror and that the UN has long lost its moral compass.
Crowds of people stood outside the shul, protesting Ban coming. Most of the members of Park East Synagogue agreed with protesters and were angry with the shul’s rabbi, Rabbi Schneier, for inviting him in the first place. Many walked out of the shul in protest when Ban spoke.
Protesters who spoke against Ban in the shul were thrown out by security.
Interestingly enough, though speaking at a shul about the Holocaust, Ban did not once mention Israel. He spoke of the “colossal crime” of the Holocaust and the current atrocities we see in Syria and South Sudan. He also spoke of every human’s unalienable right to dignity and worth.
One member of the shul, Julius Weil protested against Ban and eloquently stated that the “UN is the epicenter of the anti-Jewish push”. He continued to say that speaking against Israel is speaking against Jews and cannot be tolerated.
Ban was heckled by protesters as he left the shul.
(Source: OnlySimchas.com)
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9 Responses
This is such a big chilul hashem. what a shame to do this in a shul.
Why would he mention Israel? What’s Israel got to do with the Holocaust?
Also, these people should have a little derech eretz for a powerful and influential world leader.
Why did he come to shul is he praying for his soul is he Jewish by coming to shul and loves Jews and Israel
he should have not been invited
prriod …
a shul is not a place for politics
i
its a place to talk to hashem
this meeting should have been
downstaries in the hall
#1 and #2. It is not a chillul Hashem. If Yasser Arafat came to a shul to speak would the behavior be appropriate? Monkey Moon has been as anti-Israel as anyone and he is the “leader” of the UN. He needs to hear the message that his behavior is unacceptable. That doesn’t mean that hearing boos at a shul will make him stop, but the more we let these people get away with making anti-semitic statements, the worse it will get. And don’t start telling me how being anti-Israel doesn’t make you anti-Semitic. For some that may be true but the overwhelming majority of Israel haters do it out of hatred for Jews. Stop fooling yourselves. Wake up.
No chidush here. If you walk in to the lobby of this Shul, which by the way, also houses a Hebrew Day School, you will see large pictures of the Rabbi and the Pope. Yes; that is what is choshuv. It bothers me most that the children see that every day.
So if the Rabbi is proud to host the Pope, he can host our friend, Mr. Ban, or Mr. Moon, whatever his name is.
I’m confused…is this an orthodox shul? If it is what kind of rav invites a goy to speak on shabbos? Especially an antisemite. Even if he is important in some way would you invite assad to speak just because he’s president??I don’t know this rav and don’t want to besmirch him. I’m just looking for someone to explain the rationale
Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse –
An anti-Israel personality invited to speak in a SYNAGOGUE on SHABBOS??
Defies the imagination!!