Rabbanim and politicians excoriated the leftists in Tel Aviv and elsewhere who prevented tefillos from taking place on Yom Kippur in the name of “liberal values.”

Senior Dati Leumi Rav, HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu, wrote: “Whoever saw all the ‘Democrats’ violently forcing their values on the religious and traditional public understands that these are violent people who are using the word ‘democracy’ to forcibly impose their values on the majority.”

“This is not their defense against our supposed coercion. They force us to daven according to their progressive values. No one is forcing them to daven together or individually. No one forced them to fast or eat kosher. But what do we want from them? They have the backing of the court. The next time you are told that the Supreme Court protects the minority from the tyranny of the majority, ask who it protected in this delusional ruling! In light of this ruling, people in Haifa were prevented from davening in shuls in tents. According to them, these shuls are public spaces and it’s forbidden to daven separately. Don’t say we didn’t tell you – tomorrow the liberals with their progressive judges will ban us from davening in regular shuls as well.”

“After them will come petitioners who will appeal against the right of parents to circumcise their children. And what they failed to do over a thousand years of galus, they’ll succeed in doing in the name of ‘freedom and equality.'”

“Does it seem delusionary to you? A petition has already been submitted to the Supreme Court to ban parents from circumcising their sons. What will prevent them from banning Bris Milah in the name of ‘progress’ and liberal values? All the politicians who support these violent people today will explain to you tomorrow that banning Bris Milah is legal and legitimate.”

“I am looking for a center-left person who dares to raise his voice against this secular coercion. against the violent protesters. Someone who understands that the court is bringing us into a religious war like we’ve never seen before. We fought for our freedom of religion for 2,000 years. We will not give it up now in the State of Israel.”

Chief Rabbi of Israel HaRav Dovid Lau stated: “I heard with great sadness about the events that happened around the tefillah on the most kodesh day for Am Yisrael. The most special day of the year turned into a sad day due to the wild incitement of elements who hate religion. There are those who forgot the essence of the day and continued the waves of seething hatred.”

“The resident of Tel Aviv came to the tefillos and wanted to daven according to halacha without imposing anything on anyone but only for those who were interested. And then we saw that under the guise of freedom, a very broad public is prevented from davening according to their minhagim. The events remind us of difficult days in Jewish history. The State of Israel which was established as a home for the Jewish people must serve as a place where one can live as Judaism requires. All those who claim that the State of Israel is a Jewish and democratic state, please remember that being Jewish is no less important than being democratic.”

“As a native of Tel Aviv, I have no doubt that the majority of Tel Aviv residents abhor the disturbances and protests against Yom Kippur tefillos on the streets of a city and I call on those who continue to inflame tensions to stop – stop before it’s too late.”

Eid 2023: Over 100 Muslims pray in Charles Clore public park in Tel Aviv, left in peace by secular residents.

Yom Kippur 2023: Jews are attacked by secular residents for praying in Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv.

This is not about public prayer. pic.twitter.com/zRCu2x4gIi

— Chaya חיה 🇮🇱🌻 (@chayarivka) September 25, 2023

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)