An infuriating event in Haifa. A Haifa city inspector came to the shul compound in the Neve Sha’anan neighborhood of the city during the Kabolas Shabbos and demanded that those present should leave.

The Rambam Center is the religious center in the Neve Sha’anan neighborhood of the city. It includes a large number of shuls, the school and the Bnei Akiva branch of Neve Sha’anan, one of the oldest branches in the north. This past Shabbos was ‘Shabbat Irgun’ nationwide and Kabolas Shabbos was held outside in the yard to accommodate the large crowd.

One of the neighbors called the police and complained about a disturbance to the neighbors, and an urban inspector came and demanded that the crowd disperse, even though it was at 5:00pm, and not 11:00pm when one may call to report excessive noise. After the attendants did not comply with his demand, the inspector began to lock the gates of the compound, threatening them, whoever did not leave – would be locked in the compound. It should be noted that hundreds of residents of the neighborhood daven in the shul.

The counselors, who were joined by representatives of the shuls, parents of the youths and shluchim of the national administration of Bnei Akiva, explained that it was an early hour and that he was exceeding his authority by requiring them to vacate. They asked the inspector not to smoke near the shuls as well.

At the end, amid threats of arrest, the disbanded around 6:00pm.

Attorney Paz Glickman, of the Bayit Yehudi Party in Haifa, told the dati leumi Srugim website: “In the wake of the serious incident that took place last night in the Rambam School compound, during which an inspector from the Haifa municipality (who refused to identify himself) ordered the evacuation of the entire area by 5:30pm due to the ‘disturbance’ caused by the Bnei Akiva Kabolas Shabbos.

“I turned to the mayor, Mr. Yona Yahav, who ordered that the matter be examined immediately with the Director of the Supervision Department. ”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)