Eidah Chareidis Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem Condemns Murder of Palestinian Boy
The Eidah Chareidis, the non-Zionist independent rabbinical court of Jerusalem, published a letter today condemning the brutal murder of Mohammed Abu Khder, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy from Shuafat.
While expressing great pain over the murder of the three Jewish boys, Gilad Shaar, Eyal Yifrach and Naftali Frankel, the Eidah stated that "the demand for revenge is not consistent with the directives of our holy Torah."
The following is the text of the letter:
Tamuz 9 5774 / July 7, 2014
We Are Humiliated More Than All Peoples
With pain and shock, the chief rabbi and the members of the rabbinical court heard about the heinous and foolish crime, the murder of a Palestinian boy here in Jerusalem, by people of Jewish descent. To make matters worse, according to current reports, the murder was committed by Jews in religious dress, may G-d spare us. It is understood and obvious to every Jew and every keeper of the Torah and its commandments that such an act is forbidden by the Torah, and Heaven forbid that a Jew should spill blood. And during our bitter exile, we have been commanded by the holy Torah and our Sages, and by our most recent rabbinic leaders, to bear the yoke of exile, not to provoke the other nations, Heaven forbid, and to wait for the complete redemption by the messiah, not by human intervention. All the more so when this act could lead to unknown consequences, Heaven forbid.
Despite all our pain and mourning over the killing of the three Jewish boys, may G-d comfort their families, the demand for revenge is not consistent with the directives of our holy Torah.
The Rabbinical Court of the Eidah strongly condemns this crime, and asks whoever has the power to calm the situation and prevent attacks against the bodies and property of the non-Jewish residents of the land, and may there be peace in our camp.
May G-d spread out His canopy of peace upon us and upon all of HIs people and upon Jerusalem, and with the coming of the messiah may He avenge the blood of His servants and make atonement for His land and His people, soon in our days, amen.