High Court Justice Tova Strassberg-Cohen, ruling on a
petition filed by Lev L'Achim against the Education Ministry
demanding that it prevent licensing of a Scientology cult
school, has decided to transfer the case to a panel of three
judges. She determined that deliberation on the petition
must take place by June, which is prior to the beginning of
the next school year, 5762 (2001-2).
The judge refrained from issuing a provisional order against
the school, and transferred the decision on this issue to
the three judge panel.
The appeal to the High Court filed by Attorney Tomer
Moskowitz was made following Education Ministry recognition
of a school affiliated with the Scientology cult, granting
it a license and government subsidies. Scores of children
from the Dan area study in the school, which is located
within the Mikveh Yisrael agricultural school compound.
Heads of the Lev L'Achim's Anti-Cult Department, upset by
repeated attempts by the Scientology Cult to expand its
activities, expressed the hope that new administration in
the Education Ministry will reverse ministry policies with
respect to the Scientology cult that were instituted under
former Education Minister Yossi Sarid. Lev L'Achim is
concerned over the fact that the Education Ministry's
Textbook Approval Department recently published a favorable
review of two books written by the cult leader in a Ministry
circular.
The Scientology publishing house has made widespread use of
the fact that a review of its books appeared in a Ministry
circular. Launching an unprecedented book distribution
campaign, the cult claimed that the books had been approved
by the Ministry for use as textbooks in the school system.
However, this proved to be untrue.
Binyamin Levi, director of the Textbook Approval Department
of the Education Ministry, told Lev L'Achim that he has
forbidden the publishing house to continue to claim that the
books have received approval as textbooks by the Education
Ministry. Lev L'Achim activists said that they will continue
their battle against the Scientology cult, which is
completely avodoh zorah (like idolatry).
