Prominent Jerusalem askan R’ Shlomo Miller, a former deputy mayor, along with a number of rabbonim from the southern Talpiot area are protesting plans by Jerusalem City Hall to name a square in honor of a Buddhist cult which is a pure form of idolatry.
Miller sent a sharply-worded letter condemning the decision, which gives more of a foothold to avoda zara in the capital of the Jewish People. Miller points out that it begins with a statue adjacent to Kever Dovid HaMelech, followed by closing down vehicular access to the Old City which will lead to less mispallalim at the Kotel, and now, a location for idol worship in the city. Miller warns the move is tantamount to permitting “pigs to imbed their hooves in the heart of the city”.
Rabbonim wrote letters as well, condemning the decision of the Names Committee to approve naming a square at David Raziel and Olei HaGardom after a Buddhist avoda zara, urging the committee to abandon its plan for the naming ceremony and the permit to erect a statue at the location.
Miller is calling for action, insisting “we may not permit Mayor Nir Barkat to reinstate the traditions of [former Mayor Teddy] Kollek. Teddy wanted to turn Yerushalayim into a city of idols, into a tourist city like Paris and Rome, doing everything in his power to actualize his vision”.
Miller vows to do whatever possible to avoid bringing this abomination to the capital.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
Which Buddhist cult?
whosever idea it was needs to pay the protesters for their time. seriously.
The askan is Chaim Miller, not Shlomo. No need to post this, just correct the article.
Closing down the old city is to make the Kotel and the old city more reachable, and the facts on the ground prove that it works, citizens, buses and taxis don’t have to be stuck in hours of traffic anymore.
At the same time the amount of mispallelim is not lower, after all most of them anyhow came by bus or taxi since you can’t park at the Kotel without special permits.
And as a side effect the inhabitants of the old city are safer because the ambulances that have to evacuate them when they chalila need it don’t get stuck in the traffic (I have seen it multiple times that ambulances got stuck and that someone had to run down to get the cops to move the traffic).
But of course all of this doesn’t exist when you have an agenda and the only thing that does is “The evil chilonim are trying to encourage idol worship”.
Also how does giving a name to a square make it a place of idol worship?