Regev: Hoffman’s arrest – a black day for democracy

The chairwoman of Women of the Wall was taken in for police questioning after holding a prayer minyan at the start of the Jewish month of Tevet

09/12/2010 15:01

Tags: Women of the Wall · Jerusalem · Hiddush

“The arrest of the director of the Israel Religious Action Center, Anat Hoffman, in connection with her faith, is a black day for Israeli democracy,” says the head of Hiddush, Rabbi Uri Regev. “Violating freedom of religion and women’s standing exists only in the blackest and darkest of extremist Islamic states. Instead of interrogating the Women of the Wall, it behooves the police to find the thugs who attack them over and over again and to deal with them.”

Ynet reported that Women of the Wall Chairwoman Anat Hoffman was taken in for police questioning after she held a prayer minyan with

it behooves the police to find the thugs who attack them

her friends in the Western Wall plaza to celebrate the start of the Jewish month of Tevet.

The police stated that Hoffman was questioned at the David District Police station following the events at the Western Wall and on suspicion of violating the status quo at the site. Hoffman was asked about her role in organizing the prayer gathering and in the clashes that accompanied it, was required to provide a fingerprint sample, and was then released. In a radio interview Hoffman said: “It is no business of the police what a person says within the framework of freedom of expression.”