It’s an annual event, occurring on Pesach and on Chol Hamoed Sukkos, the conflict surrounding the chareidi presence in the Anabe Park in the city of Modi’in. Many Modi’in residents explain that they are not bothered by the fact chareidim from nearby Modi’in Illit visit their community, but they are bothered when the visitors are inconsiderate and at times, try to impose their lifestyle on community residents wishing to enjoy the park’s facilities.
Seeking to preempt a dispute, the officials of the communities of Modi’in and neighboring Maccabim-Reut have announced that entry to the park over the yomim tovim will be restricted to residents. They explain that the influx of the thousands of visitors creates an untenable situation since there simply is not sufficient space.
Walla News reports that city officials admit there is another reason, explaining most of the visitors come from Modi’in Illit and they “shove aside” the local residents during the holiday season.
The communities are hiring a security firm and guards will be posted to ensure only community residents and their guests enter the park.
Walla adds Modi’in Illit officials responded saying “We don’t need their favors. It is better that our pure children are spared the pritzus seen in the park and its surroundings. It is simply a sign from the Heavens for us.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Sorry to hear that both sides can’t compromise and figure out a system for use for all.
what a wonderful display of achdus
Hopefully, the leadership of Modi’in Illit will keep themselves and their “pure children” out of Modi’in and surrouning communities so that the residents are spared the real pritzus they have incurred when these chareidi families show up on chol hamoed and behave like a bunch of behamas leaving garbage in the park, ignoring signs about the play areas, trampling on the landscaping etc. They should build parks and play areas in their own neighborhoods rather than paving over every square meter with ugly buildings.
As usual excellent reporting by YWN.
Although it seems that you forgot your own article from August 22 where you made this clear that this was part of a tit-for-tat escalation between the two cities, and a DIRECT result of the fact that Mod’in Illit banned all chilonim from their archaeological site: Khirbet Bad-Issa.
Please at least acknowledge this in your reporting? Its erev Yom Kippur and this is at minimum motzei shem ra on the mod’in community.
I fully support Modi’in here.
Chareidi cities have an *intentional* lack of green spaces. Since few people work – and most of those who do work, have low-paying jobs – income from taxes is quite low. They don’t have the money for parks, and they intentionally avoid creating parks since these would be natural hangouts for troublemaking youth.
Instead, the little money they have is spent in subsidies for religious institutions. And not a single cent is spent on creating open, green areas.
They’re free to do that. Just don’t come running to your rich city next door which does create green spaces. Instead, tell your own municipality to get their priorities right. If troublemaking youth are a problem, get police and municipal inspectors to deal with them in an appropriate manner. Pass a law enabling law enforcement to ban troublemakers from the park for extended periods of time.
Anyway, my point is clear: if you decide you don’t want parks, for whatever reason, then you don’t have any. That’s all.
This is in response to Modi’in Illit opening up an archeological dig that will be targeted to Charedim and will also be based only on Mishna/Gemarah and not scientific sources.
The courts have already ruled that Modi’in can’t do this.