Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 2,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in matters of public policy, today condemned incidents of spitting in the presence of Christian pilgrims during religious rituals in Jerusalem.

CJV President Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld and CJV-Israel Chairman Rabbi Steven Pruzansky jointly issued the following statement:

Such disrespect for visitors—such contempt for other people of faith—is a gross violation of the honor Jews are bound to show for all human beings. This behavior exhibits a lack of true Torah education. All Jews, religious and secular, must treat all people with the dignity and respect they deserve, and not use differences of worldview to justify hateful acts.

Image credit: Omer Markovsky, Wikimedia Commons