Far-right mob storms Reform Synagogue screening Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony

Police evacuating participants in the joint Israeli-Palestinian memorial event in Ra’anana, 29 April 2025 evening

Bar Peleg reports in Haaretz on 29 April 2025:

Dozens of right-wing activists protested outside a screening of the joint Israeli-Palestinian ceremony marking Israel’s Memorial Day at the Beit Samueli synagogue, which houses a Reform congregation in the city of Ra’anana, on Tuesday.

Some of the protesters broke into the synagogue, and eyewitnesses reported they hurled stones, threw objects and set off fireworks near the synagogue.

The head of Likud in Ra’anana, Racheli Ben Ari Sakat, supported the attack and threatened to take action against “Israel’s oppressors.”    In a post on Facebook, she wrote: “To the left in Ra’anana, this is just the opening shot, don’t test us… Everyone who came from outside Ra’anana – stay away from here, don’t disgrace the city. And those in Ra’anana, see you have been warned. We will not remain silent any longer, we will come out in droves.”  Earlier, she called to prevent the screening of the ceremony, calling it an attempt to compare Israel’s fallen soldiers with Hamas’ Nukhba terrorists.

Before the ceremony, police received advance warning that right-wing activists were planning to gather outside, but there was only a small police force, including only one patrol car, when the violence began. Only later did the police send additional forces. Police say that three people have been arrested.

The activists reportedly chased viewers of the screening, shouting “May your village burn” and “Go to Gaza.” The police began to evacuate the participants who came to view the ceremony in small groups towards their vehicles, while dozens of right-wing protesters continued to pursue them.  In video footage, the mob can be seen yelling chants like “Death to terrorists,” “Not in our country” and “All Arabs are whores.”

Orly Erez-Likhovski, the executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center, the Reform Movement’s center for legal advocacy and public policy in Israel, was injured in the incident when her car window was shattered.

“I was hit by a rock that shattered my windshield and hit my shoulder,” she told Haaretz, “The shattered glass also hit me. We were in the car when four people starting kicking it. Then someone threw a rock at us and two motorcycles chased us. The police kept rescuing small groups while the rightists kept chanting anti-Arab slogans. We told to the police ahead of time that there had been threats, and when we got there was one patrol car and the police were outnumbered by rightists. There were five officers to control the rioters. It is important to note that the entire ceremony took place in full; they did not succeed in ruining it.”

“They threw stones and firecrackers at us from outside, it’s crazy,” said Irit, an activist with the Standing Together organization who attended the screening, told Haaretz. “I hear screaming, it’s scary. We’re trapped inside,” said Gali Gavish, who attended the screening as well.

A woman wearing a hijab who happened to be driving through the area was also attacked by rightists, who banged on her car, shouted racist slogans and spat at her. She was rescued by police.

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