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  • February 18, 2025
DC synagogue cancels event with former Israeli defense chief

DC synagogue cancels event with former Israeli defense chief

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks to the media during a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, on December 18, 2023.
Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks to the media during a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, on December 18, 2023. | US Department of Defense/Chad J. McNeeley https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israeli_Minister_of_Defense_Yoav_Gallant_(Galant)_at_a_press_conference_in_Tel_Aviv,_Israel_on_December_18,_2023.jpg

Adas Israel, the most prominent American conservative synagogue in Washington, DC, has canceled an event attended by former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over objections from congregants over Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza.

Congregants who registered to attend the moderated event, which was billed Thursday as an “exclusive conversation on Israel’s security challenges on multiple fronts,” received an email Sunday evening informing them it would no longer take place.

“We regret to inform you that the Monday evening event featuring Yoav Gallant must be canceled,” synagogue leaders wrote in an email.

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Adas Israel is part of the conservative movement and regularly hosts political leaders, including presidents and Supreme Court justices.

Adas member Benjamin Temchine met with one of the synagogue’s rabbis on Friday to express his opposition to hosting Gallant.

“I don’t see Adas opening the door for Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. I don’t see them opening the door to the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir. How is Gallant different?” Techhine said during the meeting.

According to Temchine, at least ten other members feel the same way as he does.

In a statement on Monday, synagogue president Beth Heifetz said the event was canceled “due to specific safety concerns” and not because of “the subject matter of the event.”

“Open dialogue is key to our commitment to Jewish values,” Heifetz said. “While we regret this cancellation, safety remains our top priority.”

The event was originally organized by Robert Satloff, director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, but when it was canceled by Adas Israel, it was moved to the institute’s downtown offices.

Gallant is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes related to Israel’s handling of the war with Hamas in Gaza. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November for “the war crime of starvation as a method of war; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.”

Gallant was in charge of Israel’s military response to the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks across southern Israel and often disagreed with Netanyahu on war strategy. They were previously divided over announcements of a judicial review earlier in 2023, before the Gaza war began.

The Prime Minister fired Gallant in November, and several others in the administration said he was not aggressively leading war policy; However, Gallant continues to support and defend Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Reactions to the event’s cancellation were mixed. In a show of support, former Israeli ambassador to the US Michael Oren said on social media that he was shocked by the decision.

“Yoav fought tirelessly for Israel and the Jewish people all his life. … The Adas leadership should be deeply ashamed of this ungrateful decision and immediately reverse it,” Oren said.

Others praised the synagogue’s decision and pointed to what they saw as problematic statements by Gallant.

Shortly after the first Hamas attacks, Gallant called for a siege of Gaza with a ban on electricity, fuel and even food. “We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly,” he said.

These comments were eventually used by the ICC and Amnesty International as proof that Israel’s government committed genocide.

IfNotNow, another group opposing the Israeli “occupation” of Gaza, planned to project Gallant’s quote on the facade of the Adas Israel building on Sunday evening, but canceled the event when they decided the event would not take place. continue.

Josh Burg, one of IfNotNow’s local organizers, said: “The way this played out says a lot about where the focus is within the mainstream Jewish community. … A conservative faction in the shul thought they could organize this event with Yoav Gallant, but the internal backlash was so intense that that simply wasn’t possible.

This article was originally published by All Israel News.

ALL THE NEWS FROM ISRAEL is based in Jerusalem and is a trusted source of news, analysis, and information from Israel for our Christian friends around the world.