A storm of outrage arose on Sunday morning following the report that the Tel Aviv municipality is requiring shuls in the city to sign a commitment to provide religious services “without distinction of gender or belief” or face eviction, with some shuls already fighting in the court for their right to operate in adherence with halacha.

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu responded, “The Tel Aviv municipality and its head are forcibly trying to bring back the sights of Dizengoff Square from Yom Kippur of 2023. While Arab prayers are held in the Dolphinarium with complete gender separation without interference, and while mosques are not required to sign any declaration, shuls and mispallelim in the first Hebrew city feel like a persecuted minority. Tel Aviv municipality—are you sure you’re part of Israel?”

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi sent an urgent letter to acting Minister of Interior and Religious Services Yariv Levin and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs demanding that “immediate, forceful and uncompromising action be taken against the Tel Aviv municipality and the issue brought to an urgent discussion at the next cabinet meeting.”

“What’s the next stage?” Karhi asked. “To force shuls to serve pork at Kiddush?To use microphones on Shabbat? How far will the persecution of Jewish identity in Tel Aviv go? How is it that a similar shocking directive has not been issued to mosques in the city?”

Noam party chairman MK Avi Maoz responded, “What a huge gap between the first mayor, Dizengoff, who fought for the Jewish character of Tel Aviv, and Huldai, who fights against every Jewish symbol in the public space of the city. I call on the Israeli government to act against Huldai’s hate and exclusion of Judaism in the city of Tel Aviv-Yaffo.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, “The Tel Aviv Municipality has declared war on Judaism. To harm shuls, the heart of the Jewish people’s identity and tradition, is a disgrace that crosses every red line.”

“Shuls are the backbone of the Jewish people, and they will endure here long after everyone who tries to erase Judaism is forgotten. Anyone who thinks they can uproot the Torah and the identity of our people is very wrong.”

“I demand that the Tel Aviv Municipality immediately stop this dangerous and despicable move. We will not lower our heads, we will not be silent, and we will not allow the State of the Jews to be turned into a ‘state of all its citizens’ on the backs of shuls.”

The Chotam organization stated, “Antisemitic persecution by the Tel Aviv municipality against Judaism. After unsuccessfully trying to uproot Yom Kippur tefillos from the city’s streets, [Tel Aviv Mayor Ron] Huldai seeks to impose the ‘religion of progressiveness’ and close hundreds of shuls. Am Yisrael will not stand idly by in the face of this persecution. The State of Israel is a Jewish state, Tel Aviv is a Jewish city, and we in the Chotam organization will fight for this.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)