Religious parties criticize Tel Aviv over prayer stands limits

Religious groups and political parties reacted furiously on Tuesday to news of a recent administrative decision by the Tel Aviv Municipality to prevent the placement of various types of stalls, including prayer stalls, within 100 m. of public buildings serving minors.The decision, taken about a month ago, was promoted by Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Reuven Ladianski of the Green Seculars Party, whose office said he received numerous complaints about the placement of various types of stalls outside public buildings.One group known around the country for using stalls in public is the Chabad hassidic movement, which sets up stands throughout many cities welcoming men to pray and put on tefillin.Religious groups and religious political parties denounced the decision on Tuesday, describing it as anti-religious.The decision demonstrated “fear and weakness,” according to United Torah Judaism MK Yaakov Tessler.“What are they afraid of? We are here because of Judaism, and disseminating Judaism is legitimate and a blessing. When a deputy mayor says he is ‘defending our children,’ what is he defending them from? From saying ‘Shema Yisrael’?”The Yamina Party said the incident showed the municipality was “again waging war on Judaism,” and added that the city was “disassociating” itself from the mainstream Jewish public.“It is a disgrace that the Tel Aviv Municipality relates to tefillin as something that children must be protected from,” the party said.“The disparaging attitude to the holy things of the Jewish people continues the disconnect of the ‘state of Tel Aviv’ from the Israeli consensus that is connected to, and respects, its Jewish identity.”