Rothschild Blvd protesters
Photo: Ben Kelmer
'Hush TA tent city for Tisha B'Av'
Legal Forum for the Land of Israel urges Tel Aviv mayor to subject Rothschild Blvd protesters to city bylaws pertaining to religious day of mourning
The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel sent Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai a letter on Sunday, asking him to prevent the "festivals of Rothschild Boulevard's tent city from taking place on Tisha B'Av."
The Forum asked Huldai to subject "tent city" dwellers to the same city bylaws which bar entertainment establishments from operating on Tisha B'Av – a day of fast commemorating the destruction of the two Temples.
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The letter stated that "the law and the values which it represents have been eroded over the years"; and goes on to liken Tisha B'Av to national memorial days honoring the Holocaust and Israel's fallen soldiers and terror victims.
Nachi Eyal, who heads the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, drafted the letter, which also stated that Tisha B'Av "is one of the most significant symbols of the State of Israel's Jewish nature."
According to Eyal, some of those who live in or visit Tel Aviv, "ridicule this day of mourning, thus offending the public's deepest religious, historic and cultural sensitivities."
Eyal's letter noted that this year, Tel Aviv must deal with a new challenge in enforcing Tisha B'Av bylaws: "The protest in Rothschild Boulevard – which is taking place in the public sphere – often appears more like a musical festival, which goes on into the night.
"Once the City has allowed protest organizers to use the public sphere, it must also uphold the spirit of the law and prevent any celebrations during this national day of mourning… The City is morally obligated to protect public sensitivities.
"We urge you to instruct city inspectors and all those entrusted with enforcing city bylaws to ensure this law is enforced," the letter concluded.
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