Jerusalem – Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Aryeh Stern visited the victims of the stabbing attack at the capital’s gay pride march, denouncing the assault as “totally contrary to the Torah.”
“This is a day for prayer for the injured and for unity,” Stern said at Hadassah-University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem where the victims of Thursday’s attack are being treated.
“The person that committed this sinful act is a criminal in every way, and his intention to kill Jews is something that is terrifying. Differences of opinion and dispute are legitimate and will continue, but raising one’s hand against one’s fellow is forbidden,” he said.
Stern added that the religious community “does not and will not tolerate such acts,” and that “people who believe in the fear of Heaven are very distant from these deeds.”
Senior United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni also spoke out strongly against the attacker, Yishai Schlissel.
“The Torah of the Jewish people is the Torah of life and the value of life is above everything,” the haredi lawmaker said.
“The attempt to kill and injure is something severe that we utterly reject and is something that is opposed by Judaism, morality, Jewish law and our path since we have been a people,” he said.
