The Tel Aviv municipality this evening an invitation to the Rosh Yehudi organization to attend a hearing to be held before the municipality cancels the permits of the organization to hold public events over the Sukkot holiday next week.
According to the municipality, the decision to summon the association for a hearing comes "in view of the violation of the municipality's instructions and the court decision by the members of the association on the eve of Yom Kippur."
The municipality's announcement reads: "On August 15, 2023, we gave you a permit to hold an event in the public space for the purpose of 'using Dizingoff Square for the purpose of holding the Kol Nidrei pray and the Ne'elah prayer with the Rosh Yehudi community.'"
"It was brought to our attention that the following violations were committed: 1. Placing a stage in Dizengoff Square - it was not requested and the municipality did not permit the placement of a stage at the event. 2. Violation of a condition in the permit regarding the 'prohibition of gender segregation by physical means' which was a condition for the event to take place.
The municipality stated that in light of this violation, the approval of the organization's events on October 1 and 10 is being reconsidered.
The municipality banned the use of a mehitza, or partition between men and women, at the Yom Kippur prayers at Dizengoff Square. This is despite the fact that mehitzas are required under Orthodox Jewish law. The Tel Aviv District Court upheld the ban. Critics accused the city and the court of violating freedom of religion and discriminating against religious people.
The prayer organizers attempted to get around the ban by using Israeli flags as a partition. During the prayers, left-wing protestors acted violently and confronted the worshipers, destroyed the partition, and removed the chairs that the organizers had placed.