With Atra Kadisha and the Eida Chareidit vowing to hold a major protest against plans to move graves to permit construction of a new fortified wing of Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, it appears Ashdod City Hall is planning to construct a stadium to accommodate 20,000 visitors in the Rova Aleph neighborhood, near a chareidi population. Such a project would result in shabbos sporting events, a most unwelcome reality for the community’s chareidi residents.
In a surprise move that has angered many, Ashdod Councilman R’ Amram Knafo voted in favor of the project while Yahadut HaTorah councilmen abstained.
Not wasting any time, Eida officials have stated they will not sit idly by as the plan advances towards increased chilul shabbos in the city. Eida officials expressed surprise over Knafo’s support.
It is not unlikely that a major protest against the construction of a stadium will be held by the Eida in the not-too-distant future.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
No protests, please!! We’ve seen what kind of publicity they get us. Some idiot always throws a rock at the police, some others burn garbage cans, and all the news media carry the pictures.
Instead, get the best lawyers possible and fight it in court. Let the Rabbonim issue pleas to the public in a dignified manner, along with interviews with residents about how the stadium would disrupt their lives. Show us as individuals just like eveyone else, who want to live our lives in the way we choose, and maybe – just maybe – this time the rest of Israel will sympathize with us.
“Divrei chachamim b’nachas nishma’im.”