Noam Perel, Head Of Jewish Youth

Movement Bnei Akiva, Calls For Israeli

Army To Take 300 Palestinian Foreskins
The Huffington Post UK | By Jessica Elgot Posted: 02/07/2014 19:05 BST | Updated: 02/07/2014 23:59 BST

GET UK NEWSLETTERS:
Enter email
SUBSCRIBE
FOLLOW:
Palestinian Territories, Facebook, Israel, Judaism, Judaism, King David, Bnei Akiva, Israel-Palestine, Kidnapped Israeli
Teens, RELIGIN, UK NEWS, UK News
The leader of one of the world's biggest Jewish youth movements has come under intense
criticism for Facebook post which appears to call for Israelis to take the foreskins of 300
Palestinians as retribution for the killing of three Israeli teenagers.
The post comes as violence flared again in east Jerusalem after the killing of a 16-year-old
Palestinian, which police have hinted may have been a revenge attack by extremists for the
brutal kidnapping and murder of three Jewish teenagers hitchhiking home in the West Bank.

Palestinian youths clash with Israeli Police near to the house of murdered Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu
Khdair
According to screengrabs of his Facebook wall, Noam Perel, the secretary general of Bnei
Akiva, called for the biblical retribution, the same violence King David meted out to the
Philistines in the Old Testament as a way to win his bride Michal from her father Saul. He had
originally refused to apologise for the post, but later released a statement saying he regretted
his words.
Bnei Akiva is the largest Jewish youth movement in the UK, running summer and winter
camps and gap years in Israel.
"A whole nation and thousands of years of history demands vengeance," he had
posted, according to Haaretz. He then called for the Israeli army to become an "army of
vengeance".
In a statement released through Bnei Akiva's Facebook page, Perel said: "In the last few days,
the entire Jewish people and the nation of Israel has been in enormous pain. The loss of our
sons and our brothers has raised tremendous emotions.
"We are a nation on edge, experiencing national tragedy and all its ramifications. As a nation
with a long history and tradition we turn to our sages and our forefathers in times of tragedy
for strength and support.
"Following the discovery of the bodies of the three students, Eyal, Gilad and Naftali, murdered
in cold blood, I wrote a Facebook post that has been widely misunderstood. My words have
been misrepresented due to their biblical and poetic style. I deeply and unreservedly apologise
for the anger that this has caused. Particularly in times of national tragedy it is incumbent
upon leaders and educators to be more precise and careful in words than I have
demonstrated."
Daniel Goldman, a Newcastle-born co-chair of the Friends of World Bnei Akiva, told HuffPost
UK: Whilst the initial post was most unfortunate, I am pleased that Noam has made his
position quite clear. At this time we are all trying to focus on continuing the spirit of unity
inspired by the grieving families. As a youth movement our job is to stick to education and we
rely on the government to take whatever action is necessary.
Jeremy Newmark, the former chief executive of the UK's Jewish Leadership council said the
comments were "racist incitement".
"A stain on a great movement placing world branches at risk," he tweeted.
Perel deleted the comments, but then posted again before his apology and called the row "a
storm in a teacup" and said those who quarrelled with his words were unable to understand
how he felt. He added that he hoped the Israeli government acted with such force as to be a
deterrent, because "the price of injury to our children is too heavy to bear".
Comments underneath Perel's Facebook post called on him to resign. "You should not be an
educational role at all, or lead Bnei Akiva in particular. Resign!" said Nadav Zilbershtein.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement earlier on Wednesday that police
would investigate the abominable murder of Arab-Israeli 16-year-old Muhammad Hussein
Abu Khdeir, killed overnight in Jerusalem, by attackers who eyewitnesses identified as Jews.
Israel is a state of law and everyone needs conduct themselves according to the law, he said.
Israel is fully responsible for the killing of the teenager and we demand that the perpetrators
be found and held accountable, said Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman Nabil
Abu Rudeina.
Robert Serry, UN special envoy to the Middle East, has said the peace body strongly
condemns the death of 16-year-old Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir.
I recall the Secretary-Generals message: there can be no justification for the deliberate killing
of civilians any civilians. The perpetrators of such heinous acts must be brought to justice.
"I repeat my call on all sides to do everything they can not to further exacerbate an already
tense atmosphere. Our thoughts are with the bereaved family."
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has also said it unequivocally condemns the
deplorable killing of Mohammad Abu Khdeir.
Whatever the motive for this killing, it is utterly deplorable and we condemn it unequivocally.
At this fragile time in aftermath of the killings of the three Israeli teenagers we all have a
responsibility to promote an atmosphere in which peace and justice, rather than violence and
aggression, can prevail.
"We all need to see the humanity in one another; this region does not need any more grieving
mothers.
Rioting has continued through the night and into the morning in east Jerusalem. Four days
into Ramadan, Israeli security forces have taken the decision to close off the Temple Mount
after masked rioters hurl rocks at police forces in the holy compound. Earlier, Palestinians had
thrown homemade explosives at police near Shoafat, where the Palestinian teen was taken,
with one person injured.
It follows mobs of Israeli extremists who also protested in Jerusalem on Tuesday, calling for
revenge for the murder of the Israeli teens. Five Palestinians were attacked, with two
hospitalised.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are continuing the manhunt for the chief suspects in the
killings of Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, 16.
The Hamas-linked pair Marwan Kawasme, 29, and Amar Abu Aysha, 32, are widely suspected
to have taken the teens, but not acted under the direct instructions of Hamas leadership.
Hamas has not taken responsibility for the kidnapping and killings but had previously praised
the act. As Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that "Hamas will pay" after the
discovery of the bodies but a Hamas spokesman was quoted warning on Monday night that
any Israeli response will open the gates of hell.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Palestinian throws a stone during clashes with Israeli border police in Jerusalem

ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Israeli border police woman aims her weapon during clashes with Palestinians

ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Palestinian uses a sling shot during clashes with Israeli border police in Jerusalem

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Palestinians throw stones during clashes with Israeli border police in Jerusalem on
Wednesday

ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Palestinian argues with Israeli border police in Jerusalem on Wednesday

ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Palestinian holds a Molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli border police

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Israeli army vehicles arrives at an area of clashes between Israeli soldiers and
Palestinians in the early morning in the West Bank city of Jenin

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Israeli army soldiers patrol during clashes with Palestinians in the early morning in the
West Bank city of Jenin

ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Palestinian injured during clashes with Israeli army soldiers in the early morning is
treated at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Israeli army soldiers take up positions during clashes with Palestinians in the early
morning in the West Bank city of Jenin

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Israeli army soldiers take up positions during clashes with Palestinians in the early
morning in the West Bank city of Jenin

ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Israeli army soldier aims his weapon during clashes with Palestinians in the early
morning in the West Bank city of Jenin

ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Palestinian stands outside a house with Hebrew graffiti that reads, "price tag" after
Palestinians reported Jewish settlers had burned a house in Aqrabeh village, near the
West Bank city of Nablus

Palestinian youths clash with Israeli Police near to the house of murdered Palestinian
teenager Mohammed Abu Khdair, in Jerusalem

Palestinian youths clash with Israeli Police near to the house of murdered Palestinian
teenager Mohammed Abu Khdair



Palestinian/Israeli clashes


1 of 18

ASSOCIATED PRESS