Turkish Jews Condemn Anti-Israel Rally Outside Istanbul Synagogue
Image by Getty Images
(JTA) — Leaders of Turkish Jewry condemned demonstrators who rallied around a synagogue in Istanbul to protest against Israel, including men who kicked the building’s doors and hurled objects at it.
The Turkish Jewish Community on Twitter called the incident Thursday night outside the Neve Shalom synagogue, where several dozen men gathered with anti-Israel signs, “intimidation and provocation,” calling on authorities to make sure it “stops” and that the people responsible are prosecuted for a hate crime.
The protesters came to demonstrate against the decision by Israeli authorities to position metal detectors at the entrance to the Haram al Sharif compound in Jerusalem, according to the Hurriyet daily. The devices were placed at the site, where the Al Aqsa mosque is situated, after three Palestinian terrorists killed two police officers there on July 14.
One man, who identified himself as Kürşat Mican, told reporters at the synagogue: “The Zionists prevent our brethren freedom of worship. We are here to block you from your freedom of worship. No matter if we are stopped here today, we will come tomorrow. No one can enter here.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
