The inscription on the wall:
The hostage-taking incident at the Beit Israel Synagogue in Texas ended well, the kidnapper was killed and the situation of the hostages is good, but the issue raises the issue of securing synagogues in the United States again on the agenda.
"We had a difficult white night, we were very worried about what was happening there," says Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization and acting chairman of the Jewish Agency.
"Thank God it ended well, but it could also have ended very badly. This is a situation we have been afraid of for many years. There is no doubt that synagogues have always been a target for hazards, and in recent years more so."
Photo: Reuters
"We see anti-Semitism growing, every year there are more and more antisemitic events in the world. Social networks are a huge cushion for fueling extremist people to harm Jews, and there is no doubt that synagogues are a major target in this regard. And how to carry out an attack. "
Hagoel cites as an example the attack on the German goddess on Yom Kippur 2019, when an antisemitic terrorist tried to break into a synagogue but was stopped due to a security door donated by the Jewish Agency.
"The terrorist carried a camera on him and documented everything."
Anti-Semitism and the threat to religious institutions in Europe are not new phenomena, but the phenomenon is expanding under the auspices of social networks to the United States as well.
If in the past synagogues in the US were run without security at all, today this is a clear risk. US Jewish officials are aware of the heavy threat, which culminated in the severe terrorist attacks in Pittsburgh and San Diego, and are being conducted accordingly.
Thus, it was recently reported in "Israel Today" that the Organization of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) has launched a campaign in which $ 54 million will be raised for the heavy security of synagogues and religious institutions of communities.
It is an organization that unites 146 Jewish federations and 300 independent Jewish communities across the United States and Canada, which has decided to raise a huge amount of money to provide synagogues with security guards, cameras, security doors and anti-terrorism training.
Yaakov Hagoel in an event against anti-Semitism, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"In Europe, when you look for a synagogue for prayer you know you have to look for a mobile or a security stand, because there is no such thing as a synagogue without security. This is what has been happening in the last decade in Europe, but also in the last three or four years in the US. We are seeing more and more secure synagogues and a need for security in the religious buildings. This is of great concern to us. In the end, an attack is not an illogical scenario, and there is no doubt that there is a fear of attacks in synagogues, as we saw happening yesterday (Saturday night) in Texas. "We recognize it in attempts to attack synagogues, and are aware that an incident such as the one in Germany or in Texas could become a role model," says Hagoel.
The Jewish Agency provides millions of dollars each year for the security of synagogues and various activities that Hagoel refuses to expand for obvious reasons, as part of a special security fund.
"We know how to provide a lot of money for security needs for synagogues and communities - doors, cameras and other needs. We have recently identified a great demand for security, which is worrying. We see that communities understand that the situation is not the same as yesterday. The synagogues.Until three years ago you would hardly see a synagogue in the US with security, but today it is very common.
There are a lot of local security initiatives, and some of them we are involved in. "
Special Forces Near Hostage Abduction Scene Synagogue in Cassville, Texas, USA, Photo: AP
Texas police officers at the scene, Photo: AP
Hagoel clarifies that the Jewish Agency is happy to help communities, but that this is not the role of the State of Israel but of the countries where synagogues are threatened.
"The protection of synagogues lies first and foremost with the sovereign governments of each country. We as national institutions help them because they are our brothers, but that is not the job of the Israeli government."
At the end of his speech, he clarified that in his eyes it is necessary to continue to perform the prayers and ceremonies as usual, while preserving the lives of the worshipers.
"We must understand that although there are people who want to interfere and harm us, we will continue to live our Jewish way of life with our heads held high and proud. In the State of Israel, we must understand that it is not easy today to be a Jew in the Diaspora.
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