Eyal Golan. 'Prevent serious damage to the city's residents and its image'
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Beit Shemesh rabbis want Eyal Golan show canceled
Twelve religious leaders sign petition urging municipality to call off controversial singer's participation in local Independence Day celebration over his 'immoral acts.'
Leading rabbis in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh are urging the municipality to cancel the performance of singer Eyal Golan
at next week's local Independence Day celebrations.
"As rabbis concerned about the moral situation and image of the city's residents, and particularly its youth, we view his invitation to participate in the city's Independence Day events as an inappropriate act which officially legitimizes the man and the reported acts, and convey a negative message to the entire public and youth in particular," they wrote.
"Alongside his developed singing skills, this person has become famous for immoral acts," the 12 rabbis wrote in a recent petition, mentioning the sexual offenses attributed to the singer and the tax offenses he has been charged with.
Scandal Testimonies
Israeli singer's testimony to police goes public, revealing group dirty orgies organized by his father. In one case, 16-year-old girl reportedly told Golan she didn't want to sleep with him only to have him tell her: 'Don't worry, I'll be done in five'
'Prevent defamation of God'
The rabbis, who are affiliated with the Religious Zionism movement, wrote that the Independence Day celebration is an official event funded and organized by the Beit Shemesh Municipality "on the great day that the entire public celebrates and thanks God for the Jewish people's return to their land after 2,000 years of exile.
"How is it possible that in the city of Beit Shemesh, whose public elected a mayor who promised to protect the Torah, in which the Ten Commandments state 'thou shalt not commit adultery' and 'thou shalt not steal,' Golan is being invited as the main performer?
"We are pleading with the organizers to cancel his participation in order to prevent the defamation of God and serious damage to the city's residents and its image," the rabbis concluded.
Nachman Rosenberg, one of the activists on the matter, wondered whether the Shas party's Council of Sages approved this decision made by Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbul, a Shas representative.
Shas officials told Ynet that the movement's leadership and Chairman Aryeh Deri had expressed their discontent over the decision to invite Golan as the main performer at the Independence Day event, but were unable to get the show canceled.
The Beit Shemesh Municipality offered the following response: "In accordance with Mayor Moshe Abutbul's policy, the municipality invests large budgets in the cultural area for all of the city's different sectors.
"The mayor has faith in the professional ranks which choose the singers and bands in cooperation with the residents, and this time they chose Eyal Golan who is popular among the city's residents.
"Considering the fact that Golan has not even been indicted, we cannot comment on gossip and rumors. There are different opinions, but most residents support his invitation. It should be stressed that the opposition is mainly from political activists who lost the two rounds of elections held in the city recently and have yet to accept the election results."
Eyal Golan declined comment.
