Islamic hard-liners in Indonesia are calling for the closure of the country's only synagogue as a protest to Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Protesters enraged by Israel's three-week-long operation in Gaza marched to the synagogue's gates chanting, "Go to hell, Israel!"
The only Jewish religious site in the world's most populous Muslim state - which has no rabbi and only a few followers - then closed its doors.
"If Israel refuses to stop its attacks and oppression of the Palestinian people, we don't need to defend [the synagogue's] presence here," said Buchori, who led about 100 hard-liners to the synagogue, where they burned an Israeli flag.
The woman who has run the synagogue since the 1970s went underground after the Jan. 7 incident, in which Buchori also threatened to drive any remaining Jews out of town.
The vast majority of Indonesia's Muslims practice a moderate form of the faith and do not advocate violence against Israelis, but they support the creation of a Palestinian state. Jakarta hosts a Palestinian embassy but has no political links with Israel. Read more ...
Protesters enraged by Israel's three-week-long operation in Gaza marched to the synagogue's gates chanting, "Go to hell, Israel!"
The only Jewish religious site in the world's most populous Muslim state - which has no rabbi and only a few followers - then closed its doors.
"If Israel refuses to stop its attacks and oppression of the Palestinian people, we don't need to defend [the synagogue's] presence here," said Buchori, who led about 100 hard-liners to the synagogue, where they burned an Israeli flag.
The woman who has run the synagogue since the 1970s went underground after the Jan. 7 incident, in which Buchori also threatened to drive any remaining Jews out of town.
The vast majority of Indonesia's Muslims practice a moderate form of the faith and do not advocate violence against Israelis, but they support the creation of a Palestinian state. Jakarta hosts a Palestinian embassy but has no political links with Israel. Read more ...
Source: AP
H/T: Weasel Zippers
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