Religious and political tensions in Tiberias: Rabbis from the Eida Haharedit have declared an economic and consumer boycott on popular tourist attractions on the Sea of Galilee.
The move comes in protest of the Tiberias Municipality's decision to open a mixed-gender beach on the road accessing the tomb of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess and the removal of separation barriers that had existed at some of the beaches in the area until recently.
In strongly-worded flyers distributed in haredi population centers, the spiritual leadership attacked the municipal decision and described the new situation as a "terrible obstacle."
According to the rabbis, the mixed-gender beach and the removal of the dividers in the segment between the Ancient Cemetery and the Hamat Tiberias Hot Springs, an area that includes several sacred sites, have turned the access road into an integral part of the beach complex.
As a result, religious passersby are forced to be exposed to bathers in bathing suits, which effectively prevents them from accessing the religious sites.
In response to the decision, the rabbis have announced a boycott of tourism companies and leading attractions that operate in that section of the shore.
Under the new directive, heredi educational institutions, summer camps, yeshivas, and private families are prohibited from renting or visiting the facilities, including during hours designated exclusively for men or women.
Leaders within the haredi community hope to exert significant economic pressure on business owners so that they, in turn, will pressure the Tiberias Municipality to reverse the decision.
Alongside the economic boycott, rabbis have called on the municipality to change the decision as soon as possible and find a solution that would allow the religious public to pass through the area. Until the issue is resolved, they instructed the tens of thousands of haredi visitors who travel to Tiberias during the summer to completely avoid using the main route between the old cemetery and the tomb, and instead travel only via alternative routes.