Adas Israel, the largest Conservative synagogue in Washington, D.C., canceled a planned event on Monday with former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing a security threat.
The synagogue sent out a message on Sunday, first reported by The Forward, saying the event “must be canceled.”
Adas Israel shared with JNS a follow-up statement from the synagogue’s executive committee that was sent to congregants on Monday.
“Due to specific security concerns that arose in connection with this event, Adas Israel Congregation canceled the scheduled speaking engagement with former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant,” the committee stated. “Contrary to speculation, this decision was not based on the event’s subject matter, but rather on our commitment to the safety of our community.”
The anti-Israel group IfNotNow publicized, however, that members intended to protest the event and that the internal objections to Gallant’s presence were what forced the cancellation.
“A conservative faction in the shul thought they could host this event with Yoav Gallant, but the internal pushback was so intense that just wasn’t possible,” the group wrote.
Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who described himself as having “intimate knowledge of the situation,” wrote reporting that the synagogue had given in to political pressure was “a malicious lie, designed to pump up the false notion that the synagogue bowed to critics of hosting the former defense minister.”
“The synagogue looked forward to hosting Mr. Gallant,” continued Satloff. “Regrettably, the synagogue became aware of real and legitimate security concerns and reached the conclusion that cancellation was the appropriate course.”
A spokesman for Gallant confirmed that the cancellation was due to a security threat and was not political, Jewish Insider reported. JNS sought comment but did not hear back.
Sandy Roskes, a congregant at Adas Israel, told JNS that the synagogue should be better prepared to face threats.
“It is the easy path for the synagogue to fall back on excuses about security, but it doesn’t hold water given the much higher profile and high-security people that Adas regularly hosts, including presidents and prime ministers,” Roskes told JNS. “If you can’t take the totally predictable heat, don’t invite Gallant in the first place.”
