Chief rabbi condemns rioting, after Haredi mob attacks High Court judge’s home

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber condemns violent demonstrations “even if in the pursuit of sacred values,” after dozens of ultra-Orthodox extremists smashed windows and damaged property while trying to break into High Court of Justice deputy head Noam Sohlberg’s house in the Alon Shvut settlement in the West Bank last night.

“The honor of the Torah is upheld by conducting struggles in a manner that does not lead to the desecration of God’s name,” he says in an open letter disseminated by a rabbinate spokesperson. “There is absolutely no permission, Heaven forbid, to raise a hand against another person, damage their property, or prevent them from reaching their destination.”

“Even a struggle in pursuit of sacred values does not permit harming others,” he adds. “The manner in which disagreement and struggle should be conducted must be one of patience and restraint.”

Ber does not explicitly mention last night’s incident in the letter.

Sohlberg and his wife were both home at the time of the attempted break-in. Images show shattered windows, broken flowerpots by the front door of the house, a car in the garage with a smashed windshield, and a small Israeli flag with a swastika in place of the Star of David.

It was not immediately clear why the rioters chose to protest Sohlberg, though he has been highly critical of the government for failing to enforce Haredi conscription.