MK Ofir Sofer (Yamina) has appealed to the mayor of Arad, Nissim Ben Hamu, asking him to take down the fir tree that has been erected in the center of Arad, as it offends the feelings of the city’s traditional, religious, and haredi residents.
“My office has received a number of complaints from members of the public regarding the fir tree that has been erected in the center of Arad,” he wrote to Ben Hamu. “In such times, when the schisms and fractures between members of our society are only deepening – in politics, and in wider society too – it seems to me that erecting a fir tree in the center of Arad is likely to inflame the hatred and divisiveness.”
Sofer added that, “Specifically in the city where you serve as mayor, a city which has seen fierce internal battles in the past, such an action takes on enhanced meaning with regard to the various sectors represented in Arad. Therefore, I ask you to reconsider the perceived need to erect such a tree in your city.”