The Israeli Supreme Court has unanimously voted to overrule the Tel Aviv municipality and allow a gender-segregated minyan in a public space on Yom Kippur. The minyan will be held in Gan Meir, a popular Tel Aviv park.
Earlier on Wednesday evening the Tel Aviv municipality rejected a compromise proposal put forward by Supreme Court judges following an appeal by the Rosh Yehudi organization and several residents against the Tel Aviv municipality decision to block the minyan from taking place on Yom Kippur.
Supreme Court Judges David Mintz, Ofer Grosskopf, and Yael Kasher criticized the city’s conduct throughout the hearing. The judges also said they could not understand Tel Aviv’s principled opposition to Minyan.
Judge David Mintz told Shmuel Zinger, the city’s attorney: “These are difficult times. In any case, the issue should not have reached the court. Certainly not an issue of prayer on Yom Kippur. With goodwill, it can be resolved outside the court walls.”
Angry with the city’s conduct, the judges blasted the municipality, saying: “what emerges is that a municipality in the State of Israel seeks to discriminate against Orthodox worshippers.”
Regarding the city’s argument that there was no discrimination in their ban, Judge Grosskopf responded, “should we allow the Tel Aviv municipality to determine which prayer is legitimate? The public will decide for itself.”
Meanwhile Judge Kasher emphasized: “Tel Aviv Municipality says – ‘Orthodox no, everyone else yes’, while there is ‘relevant diversity’ that allows for gender segregation in prayer. You say: ‘I am not against prayer, only against the partition’, but that’s like saying, ‘I only have a problem with a kippah’.”
Regarding the complaint that holding the Minyan would block a public space, Judge Kasher angrily responded: “Any event in a public space blocks it. Even a demonstration. So let’s declare it will be a ‘Yom Kippur prayer demonstration’.”
Praising the ruling, the Rosh Yehudi organization said: “The Rosh Yehudi organization welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision to allow prayer with a partition in the public space. Tel Aviv is part of the Jewish state and also there those who wish to pray with a partition will be able to do so.”
“We are pleased that the court has allowed us to pray in our way, according to our faith and according to the tradition of Israel. Judaism is stronger than any municipal ordinance and than the unfortunate decision of the Tel Aviv municipality to exclude from the public domain the traditional public and the Judaism itself. Yom Kippur is a holy day for the entire Jewish people and we hope that the prayers will pass in peace and unity among all parts of the people. We call on all our neighbors to unite in prayer for the return of our hostages and the victory of our soldiers.”
{Matzav.com}