A resident of Tel Aviv who submitted a request to the municipality to hold a Yom Ha’atzmaut tefillah on Rothschild Boulevard received a response that the tefillah will only be approved if no mechitzos between men and women are used. The response came despite the fact that Arabs held an Eid al-Fitr prayer in Tel Aviv on Friday with complete separation between men and women, including physical barriers. Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Reuven Lediansky clarified the decision on his Facebook page, writing: “There won’t be a tefillah with mechitzot between men and women in Tel Aviv. Not on Rothschild Boulevard and not anywhere else in the public space. Yesterday an application was received by the Tel Aviv Municipality to hold a tefillah on Yom Ha’atzmauet with mechitzot between men and women. The municipality’s response was that ‘there will be no separation by physical means‼️'” With the elections around the corner, Lediansky took advantage of the request to boast about his secular agenda to voters, declaring: “I intend to lead a secular front that will ensure the interests of Tel Aviv and you residents – throughout the entire term – a period of five years. I have the energy, determination, and experience to protect a secular and liberal Tel Aviv. No religious coercion, no gender segregation and no religionization!” In response, Kol B’Ramah reporter Moshe Glassner posted a photo of the Eid al-Fitr prayer, stating: “But the Tel Aviv Municipality is actually attentive to the needs of religion, if of course, you belong to the right religion: This directive does not apply to the Arabs who held the Eid al-Fitr prayer in Tel Aviv last Friday with complete segregation, including barriers…because racism towards Jews is fine, but a separate seating by consent is coercion.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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