Melchior. Expressed deep regret Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
Sternhell: Coexistence should be norm
Rabbis, professors visit Ze'ev Sternhell, who was injured by a pipe bomb that exploded outside his house last week. MK Melchior: Incident a product of demonizing, constitutes desecration of God
A number of rabbis, religious officials and professors visited Professor Ze'ev Sternhell on Sunday, in order to express their regret and concern over the pipe bomb that exploded outside his home last week, lightly injuring him.
The Protestor
Prof. Sternhell: I'll continue to voice my views / Aviad Glickman
Shortly after returning from hospital, Israel Prize laureate wounded by pipe bomb detonated at his front door says he did not receive any threats recently, did not feel he was being followed; adds he knows he is 'a red rag to settlements'
MK Michael Melchior (Labor-Meimad) said during his visit that he feels the incident constitutes "a desecration of God."
Melchior brought Sternhell a basket of sweets, remarking, "These horrible things begin with demonizing words aimed towards people whose opinions differ. This demonizing leads to terrible things, as we've seen.
"We would like to express our deepest regret and identification at this desecration of God which spoils not only our democratic side, but our Jewish side as well."
Sternhell told his guests that "it's very important that the government and the Knesset delve deep into this issue. They should not dismiss it silently. Rather than kill individual mosquitoes, we need to dry up the entire swamp."
Prof. Uri Simon also participated in the visit and said, "Religious Zionism is faithful to democracy in every sense of the word, and he who harms democracy harms the Torah. We see your injury as unrelated to your affiliation with Judaism. It's violence that begins with the attitude towards non-Jews, including Palestinians."
Prof. Sternhell was moved by the visit. "I believe I could sign any manifesto of the Religious Zionist Movement, I accept it with all my heart on the ideological level," he said.
Sternhell cited his family as a model of coexistence. "My eldest daughter has reformed. In our family, this coexistence takes place extraordinarily. I would go on to say that this should be ordinary. The day we succeed in achieving this will mark the end of many of our problems," the professor concluded, expressing his gratitude towards his guests.
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