Chabad house in Sri Lanka faces threats as Buddhist monks lead protests

Buddhist monks lead protest against Chabad house in Sri Lanka as center reports threats.

By World Israel News Staff

A newly opened Chabad house in the southern Sri Lankan resort town of Hiriketiya has become the focus of mounting local tensions, with Buddhist monks and residents holding a protest demanding an investigation into the Jewish center as Chabad officials report stones, firecrackers and threats targeting the facility and Israeli visitors.

The demonstration was held Friday, about a month after the Chabad house opened in the popular coastal tourist destination.

Sri Lankan outlets reported that Buddhist clergy and villagers called on authorities to determine whether the center had obtained the licenses and regulatory approvals required to operate.

Protesters said it should be removed if officials determine that it is operating illegally.

The protest later continued near the Chabad house as Israelis gathered for a Shabbat meal.

Chabad officials said demonstrators played loud music outside, set off firecrackers and threw stones at the compound during the night.

Some Israelis attempting to reach the Friday-night dinner were also confronted along the way, the Chabad house said.

Protesters allegedly told them not to approach the center and ordered them to turn around, while firecrackers were set off near some of the visitors.

After Shabbat, several Israelis leaving the building were allegedly threatened by people carrying sticks, before an increased police presence helped calm the situation.

Chabad officials warned that the confrontation posed a potential danger to the emissaries operating the center, their families and Jewish tourists visiting Hiriketiya.

“We must not wait until a disaster occurs,” Chabad officials said, calling for greater police protection.

The Hiriketiya center operates a kosher restaurant, hosts Shabbat meals and provides religious and other services for Jewish travelers.

Chabad representatives have asked Sri Lankan authorities, Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy to intervene and establish a more permanent security presence around the site.

The confrontation follows signs targeting the center that appeared earlier in the week.

According to ChabadInfo, notices posted in Sinhala, English and Hebrew opposed the establishment of a Jewish house of worship in Hiriketiya.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Gabai, who established the new center with his family, said hundreds of Jewish travelers had already visited since it opened.

“The Chabad House will continue to be open to every Jew,” Gabai said, adding that its representatives would not be intimidated into abandoning their activities.

Gabai also stressed that Chabad did not regard the hostility as representative of Hiriketiya’s population as a whole, saying the emissaries had developed positive relations with many local residents.

The dispute comes amid a broader debate in Sri Lanka over the growing presence of Israeli tourists and Israeli-oriented businesses in the country’s coastal tourism centers.

Sri Lankan media and local politicians have previously accused some Israeli nationals of operating restaurants, surf schools and other businesses without appropriate work visas or business registrations.

Similar accusations have been made against some Chabad centers, although the legal circumstances vary by location and the allegations surrounding the newly opened Hiriketiya center have not yet resulted in a publicly announced ruling by authorities.

Those economic and regulatory complaints have increasingly become intertwined with anger over Israel’s wars in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Ynet reported that some Sri Lankan media coverage of the current dispute has accused Israeli tourists of aggressive or entitled conduct and has attacked Israeli soldiers visiting the country over their military service.

Sri Lanka’s other Chabad centers have already been the subject of significant security concerns.

In October 2024, authorities deployed police commandos, soldiers and intelligence personnel around Arugam Bay after receiving intelligence about a possible attack targeting Israelis.

Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said at the time that the local Chabad house was among the possible targets. Three suspects were subsequently arrested amid the investigation.

“The information was that a place called ‘Chabad house’ run by Israelis could be a target,” Thalduwa said at the time.

The security concerns eventually led Sri Lankan police to announce in June 2025 that Chabad houses around the country would receive round-the-clock protection.

Police said the decision was based on existing threats and that local stations would provide security to the Jewish centers.

At the same time, the status of Chabad operations has become politically contentious.

In 2025, a local coordination committee in the Pottuvil area discussed removing the Chabad house in Arugam Bay following complaints over registration and community tensions.

A Sri Lankan government lawmaker involved in those discussions said officials wanted to address the issue without harming tourism or provoking religious conflict.