The events that unfolded in Tel Aviv on Yom Kippur were deeply troubling and, for me, proof that the anti-judicial reform protesters have an agenda far more nefarious than blocking legislation with which they do not agree. For generations, Jews have put aside their sociopolitical viewpoints on this most sacred of days. Regardless of their level of observance—be it fasting and spending the day in prayer or otherwise—there was a communal understanding that the day itself was inviolable. The idea of disrupting the two most revered prayers in Judaism, 'Kol Nidre' and 'Neila,' was inconceivable. This year was different. Emboldened by nearly 40 weeks of anti-government demonstrations—partially instigated by controversial personalities like former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, whose inexplicably affluent lifestyle and associations with the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein raise eyebrows—the protesters chose to disrupt what is both the most sacred day on the Jewish calendar and one of the happiest days of the year in the modern State of Israel.
Here is the backstory. Since a Supreme Court ruling in 2000, Israeli courts have not allowed gender-segregated public events; this is fair, considering most in the public are not religious and public events like Memorial Day and Independence Day ceremonies should be inclusive for all. When COVID hit a few years ago, a group called "Rosh Yehudi" petitioned to host a large prayer service for Yom Kippur in Dizengoff Square, the iconic heart of the first Jewish metropolis built in over 2,500 years, and for two years, their prayer service has gone on without protests.
If you are not connecting the dots between the "judicial reform protests" and what just went down in Tel Aviv on Yom Kippur, you are not familiar with the concept of agit-prop (agitation-propaganda) and how it's being used as political warfare by the Israeli left. https://t.co/Drvchr312N
— Tirza Shorr (@ShorrTirza) September 26, 2023
It's worth mentioning that well before the era of COVID-19 lockdowns, various religious institutions and organizations had established public prayer areas to serve their respective communities and accommodate the masses of people who only show up to synagogue for these two prayers. Orthodox venues, such as those run by Chabad, typically maintain gender-segregated spaces, while Conservative and Reform congregations often do not. Opposition leader Yair Lapid recently penned a series of tweets, paradoxically accusing those observing the fast and engaged in prayer of disrupting the solemnity of those who were eating and protesting. Intriguingly, Lapid acknowledged visiting some of these public prayer areas, like Chabad, for Kol Nidre and Neila. No doubt unwittingly, his admission revealed a certain level of hypocrisy as he used the events to criticize the Netanyahu-led government.
עצוב. pic.twitter.com/64T1nAzYGO
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) September 25, 2023
This year, following a petition from anti-government activists, the courts deferred the decision on public segregated prayer events to the Tel Aviv municipality. Contrary to claims that the municipality had disallowed segregated prayers, footage of a senior Israel Police officer in Tel Aviv supervising the setup of the prayer area suggested otherwise. It's likely that Tel Aviv granted implicit approval for the segregated space, contingent upon organizers also providing a mixed-gender area—a common practice even within Modern Orthodox circles during public prayer events. This approach allows for individual choice: those who wish to sit separately can do so, while those who prefer a mixed setting can opt for that.
While Tel Aviv is predominantly secular, the prayers of Kol Nidre and Neila are exceptions that often draw large crowds, including secular individuals—as even the avowedly secular Yair Lapid has attested to participating in. Most synagogues in Israel, which might be sparsely attended during the rest of the year, are filled to capacity during these particular services, prompting many to extend their venues outdoors. Until this year, the separation of men and women during these prayers had elicited little controversy. However, this Yom Kippur witnessed a distinct change. Activists, armed with smartphones and evidently keen on generating TikTok content, roamed the public events, confronting rabbis and volunteers.
Secular Protesters Confront Religious Jews in Tel Aviv Yom Kippur Prayer over Gender https://t.co/CKrqUUc2n3 via @BreitbartNews
— Filtered News (@filterednews) September 26, 2023
These protesters co-opted Yom Kippur, traditionally a solemn day of fasting and prayer, recasting it as their own personal day for cycling and scootering, accusing traditional observers of spoiling their enjoyment. In one particularly striking video, a male protester brazenly approached the women's section of an Orthodox prayer gathering, loudly disrupting the focused, fasting worshippers. When politely asked to cease filming, his voice escalated, asserting that his right to film outweighed their right to a focused and respectful environment for prayer.
The protesters made no effort to conceal their motives. Rather than respecting prayers that are integral to Jewish identity, they appeared in the same anti-government attire they don on Saturday evenings for their weekly "anti-reform" rallies, even chanting their iconic chant "Busha, Busha" (Shame, Shame) at those praying. They painted religious residents of Tel Aviv with a broad brush, likening them to right-wing figures such as Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, and labeling them as "extremists." Some even borrowed terminology from pro-Palestinian discourse, referring to the worshippers as "settlers." One individual, filming Modern Orthodox Jews on their way to synagogue, audaciously claimed that they were "occupying" his city, as though Tel Aviv were an exclusive enclave for atheists and secularists.
💥All over Israel, notable in Tel Aviv, Yom Kippur was wrecked by groups of Jewish Ben Gvirite extremists who attempted, in defiance of a Court order, to set up partitions between male & female worshipers in the public sphere. pic.twitter.com/JCVvl7sMaz
— Noga Tarnopolsky נגה טרנופולסקי نوغا ترنوبولسكي💙 (@NTarnopolsky) September 25, 2023
The actions of the protesters reveal the true impetus behind their activism. It is not about opposing specific legislation or even expressing disdain for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Rather, their agitation seems directed against Judaism itself. In their pride for the vibrant city of Tel Aviv, they seem to have forgotten the founding ethos of the city: to serve as a haven for Jews of all backgrounds, providing safety and peace within the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. The city, whose name was inspired by Theodor Herzl's Altneuland ("Old New Land"), has been a stronghold of Jewish coexistence and acceptance since its establishment in 1909. Witnessing its descent into a landscape where religious Jews are openly harassed—often by individuals who are simultaneously documenting their own disruptive behavior—underscores the depths to which the organizers of this protest movement have sunk.
Only last week, the previously mentioned Ehud Barak granted an interview to a U.S. media outlet, in which he virtually assured that attempts to topple the government would result in violence and loss of life. Consider the implications: a former Prime Minister, who has not only been vocal but also a key architect of the anti-government movement, is openly suggesting the possibility of civil unrest to achieve his objectives. The recent occurrences in Tel Aviv, presumably involving individuals influenced by his rhetoric, indicate just how perilously close we may be to such a juncture.
