Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar on Thursday expressed concern that Reform Jews are taking over Israel, in comments he wrote to mark the Jewish month of Elul.

“Those who call themselves liberals and reformers and their friends and supporters” brought us to “our spiritual low point,” in which violence is rampant immodesty is acceptable, and assimilation is at a high even in Israel, he wrote.

“They now have their claws in the nation of Zion, and are trying to impose the lifestyle of other nations on us. They established legions of warriors in the Land of Israel, whose purpose is to remove Torah from Israel.”

The chief rabbi added that every Jew must try to influence Knesset members and ministers, and pray for these “lost sons to return to the right path,” because they are “our brothers, our flesh and blood, even if they are our rivals.”

Yizhar Hess, Director of the Masorti (Conservative) Movement, said: “Rabbi Amar is correct. Non-Orthodox Judaism – conservative and reform – have a real place in Israeli society. Hundreds of communities throughout Israel are learning that the Orthodox monopoly will crash…because it became irrelevant for a growing public.”