The secular editor of Israel’s Maariv newspaper, Doron Cohen, surprised his audience on his program on Galey Yisrael radio on Wednesday morning when he said he was very moved by Birchas Kohanim at the Kosel, which he attended for the first time that morning.

“This morning, for the first time in my life, I participated in Birchas Kohanim at the Kosel and it was very emotional,” Cohen said. “I had many thoughts about why I did it, and I came to the conclusion that one of the biggest catalysts is what happened on Yom Kippur in Tel Aviv.”

“This behavior [on Yom Kippur] caused me to do something to counter it. I think that the more they persecute religion and behave like that, the more they create a reaction. The more they persecute Yahadut, the more Yahadut will be strengthened.”

Cohen had predicted two days before Yom Kippur what would happen in Tel Aviv, writing: “If I lived in Jerusalem, I would vote for Meretz in the municipal election to protect the secular minority in the “mitchareid” [becoming Chareidi] city. But since I live in Tel Aviv – I’ll vote for one of the religious parties to protect the traditional minority in the city against the developing tyranny of the secular majority.”

On Motzei Yom Kippur, he wrote: “Just a reminder that I wrote this already on Friday, two days before the ‘Kippur events.’ I call on all my liberal friends and real democrats in Tel Aviv to join me and vote for the religious parties to protect the persecuted minority in the city against the tyranny of the majority. There is no more democratic and liberal act than this.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)