The religious are upset about the lights in Mamilla Mall, which will come down in a week or so BUT they are NOT upset about the obscene near pornographic statues that have trashed the walk-way since the mall opened. Get real!

Afraid of Christmas lights? Are you kidding me? What are you so frightened of? Little baby Jesus will jump out and Christianize you? Are the Haredim so challenged by anything not Haredi, that they are unable to cope? Boycott this, riot that, don't rent or sell to them. The Haredi community is rapidly defining itself as an unreasonable group of antiquated outsiders. They refuse to participate in the modern world, despite that same world offering them to live as they wish, and asking in return ONLY that they show respect to others. They have become their own worst advocate, and threaten themselves as meaningful members of this country.

you dont have to be ultra-othodox to appreciate the sanctity of jerusalem-and you dont have to be a rabbi to know a xmas style light when you see them,especially after hannukah

How the Ultra-O's can compare these glittery decorations to idol worship is beyond me. Also, they are quite able to look the other way, as they do for so many things going on in their community which are discomforting.

There is a time for Xmas decorations in Israel, and time is Sukkot. Just go to Mea Shearim, and you'll see.

Seriously? In Meah Sharim they use xmas lights for their sukahs complete with pictures of santa claus. I doubt they should have a problem with non colored lights which are simply in the same layout.

Not only is this just dumb - lights don't need to mean Christmas - but their faith is so weak that any exposure outside their specific ways is threatening to them. If they had real faith, and real believe, nothing could be a threat.

Israel is indeed WORST than Iran.

...the Haridim have the money or taste to buy anything in Marmilla mall. The threat to "boycott" is nothing of the sort. It's a threat to send their feral children down there with stones and dirty nappies like they did with Intel and the parking lot. When will we stop allowing these religious ideologues to hold our country to ransom??

Really, this nonsensical haredi nonsense has to stop. The mall can't cater to these lunatics. They are just lights, get over yourselves already. You ask and ask and demand and protest and issue ordanances against everything, it's time for us to issue something against you: No more tax dollars to fund your irresponsible parasitic lifestyle.

I live in Haifa and, true, several years now, the xmas decorations are at the malls and in the wadi area. I am secular, but yes, it bothers me too. So, I try to stay away from these areas at this time - saves some money.....

the statues on the mall are a beautiful addition. You need to go take a few courses in esthetics and art history! BTW the statues aren't pornographic and if you think they are you should have your head examined!

Please, it has no meaning to us. It's just pretty. And Hardim should not be in Mamila. There are underwear shops, and they sell disgusting clothing there!!.

What were haredim doing there? Looking at the scantily clad dummies in the windows? Eyeballing the exposed arms and lower legs of the tourists??? Gevalt! Shame on them for being in the wrong place at the wrong time!

Some of these talkbacks are missing the point. Israel is the only Jewish country in the world. Jerusalem is its crown (and its capital.) There's a feeling in the air here of this Jewishness. A large part of the world celebrates at this time of year with lights, trees, gift-giving and more. We need to remain different, remain ourselves. One of the nice things about living here is not being bombarded by ads at this time of year that are aimed at others, not at me. You don't have to be hareidi or even observant to know this stuff isn't ours and doesn't belong here. (A few years ago, a non-observant Jewish waitress lost her job because she refused to wear a santa claus hat during this season. She wasn't sure what it represented, but she knew it wasn't hers.)

These rabbis and ultra-orthodox are quite pathetic in their complete intolerance to anything non-Jewish. How on earth can "electric ornaments resembling christmas lights" pose a threat to any Jew? On the contrary, knowing and understanding something of other religion can only lead to tolerance. If seeing a few coloured lights at the time of a Christian holiday poses a danger to the Judaism, then that begs the question: how strong is Judaism? Just what are these ultra-orthodox afraid of? That we will suddenly all convert to Christianity or want Christmas trees in our homes? We expect other religions to show tolerance to ours, so how about these ultras start showing a little tolerance to non-Jews.

Why do Christmas decoration bother you at all? This country has many Christian holy places so why should they be denied the right to decorate public places in areas where there is a significant Christian population, as in Haifa? By the "wadi", I presume you mean wadi Nisnas, where there is quite a large Christian population. couldn't we all stop making such a fuss about a few decorations.

Who exactly are the, "Rabbis' Committee for the Sanctity of Jerusalem"? Anybody with a printing press and a pot of wallpaper paste can proclaim themselves as representatives of the Haredi community. Leading Haredi Rabbis are well known and don't hesitate to sign off on even very controversial pronouncements if they believe in them. This is a non-story about an insignificant event.

also i know for a fact that beitar yerushalime is playing football now the christmas tree formation which is 5311 and not the 442 like in europe believe me also here in gaza we also not playing the 442 formation but the 911 like all over the arab world but that is a different matter now

..."prejudicing" Glatt kosher cooked wine anyone? You can still use it for sacremental purposes even if a non Jew touched the bottle!

But how will he meet and shake hands with Sara(h) Palin if goddess forbid she becomes POTUS?

Shut all the lights in Jerusalem all winter lest someone think they resemble Christmas lights...in fact cut down all pine trees because they resemble Christmas trees...If more of these shnorrers would work there won't be time for these nutty demands!

First of all, Israel definitely isn't worse than Iran because these hyper-religious fanatics don't represent the State of Israel, where, for your information, the majority of the population isn't even religious. So although what these people are doing is ridiculous, your hysterical accusations are even more insufferable...and bigoted.

The fundamentalist Jews are taking control of many aspects of life in Israel, esp. the budget. True, the majority of the population isn't religious like that, and that is exactly what makes their disproportionate and almost unlimited power and influence worse.

I recall seeing dozens of pictures of Germans ferrying Orthodox Jews to their doom,. while the citizens watching were gleeful . Religious JEWS having their beards cut off, were often times shown with happy soldiers, just so amused. German citizens watched as Jews swept the streets, or playing horsey. These same ultra now, 65 years later, wont work, wont go into the army, and demand stipends., while daring to make outrageous demands on others (put out the lights),. What a schonda. No wonder the world hates them. Just ship them back to the US, where they can watch real holiday celebrations.

Oh Come on, these were not Christmas declorations. just innocous lights. No wonder Christian tourists dont go to Tel Aviov, and stick to their holy places. The Arabs are lovingt this.."see, the Jews hate you peole", while they don allow anything Christian formally (and require head scarfs). Typically, these people live in a bubble, in their insulated lifestyles.Dont work, dont serve in the army, and dont recognize the Jewish state, ..sound familiar. Send them all back to Germany, Poland the USA, per whats her name. where they can protest Chritmas oights..BTW, many retail shops are owned by Jewish guys. and dependend upon Christmas.

The lights are for Hanuka, the Jewish festival. The Haredim are simply crazy - perhaps they will boycott Hanuka as well, since it entails lighting candles!

Naked men and women with enlarged or obvious 'private parts' are not 'art'.