On 20 Adar (March 15), Lev L'Achim appealed to the High
Court to issue an order to prohibit the Education Ministry
from granting a license to the Atid school of the
Scientology cult. In addition, it has demanded that the
Ministry retract its approval of Scientology textbooks
recently approved for use.
In a petition presented by Attorney Tomer Moskowitz from the
Jerusalem Gal-Ber Sela law office to the High Court, it is
stated that the Atid school was established by the "NPO for
Progressive Education in Israel" and that it expressly uses
the Scientology approach of Ron Hubbard, founder of
Scientology.
The inter-ministerial Committee for the Examination of Cult
Issues has determined that Scientology is a cult, topping
the current list of cults. Among other things, the Committee
report on Scientology states: "Scientology is a blend of
falsehood, deception and fantasy . . . Its practical methods
constitute a serious threat: from medical, ethical and
social vantage points . . . It is a cause of dissension,
suspicion and distrust between family members, as well as
financial difficulties."
The petition also states that the Israel government is aware
of the dangers of Scientology, and is obliged to safeguard
the citizens of the State from damage likely to ensue from
cult activities. It is the government itself that decided
five years ago, "to initiate suitable guidance and
consultation procedures for students and to spur teachers on
various levels to implement the plan."
At the beginning of this school year, Lev L'Achim demanded
that the Education Ministry close the school. However,
nothing happened. Recently the Lev L'Achim activists learned
that the school -- in which scores of students from all over
the Dan region study -- has received a license for the year
of 5761 and has been recognized as an accredited, non-
official educational institution. This status enables it to
receive State funding.
Since Lev L'Achim's appeal to the Education Ministry has
gone unanswered, it had no recourse other than to ask the
High Court to demand that the Education Ministry withhold
licensing from the school.
The petition also claims that since Scientology defines
itself as "a new religion," referring to itself as the
"Church of Scientology," the law the provides, "One who
converts a minor or takes any other steps leading to the
conversion of a minor is punishable by six months in
prison," applies to the Atid school, since it teaches its
students to believe a faith other than their own.
Activists of Lev L'Achim's Anti-Cult Department have
recently discovered a many Scientology cult advertisements
addressed to the public at large. These advertisements state
that books written by the cult leader, Ron Hubbard, have
been certified by the Education Ministry and recognized as
textbooks in the Israeli school system.
Under the headline "Good News," the publishing arm of the
Scientology cult urges its members to distribute the books
in every manner possible. "We never had this before:
approval from the Education Ministry to introduce our books
into the educational system," says the advertisement.
Lev L'Achim activists were startled to see that Binyamin
Levi, responsible for approval of textbooks in the Education
Ministry, wrote an official letter to the director of the
Scientology cult publishing arm informing him that a review
of the books appears in the circular of the director of the
Education Ministry in the bibliographical column for
teachers.
This week, Lev L'Achim's attorney, Tomer Moskowitz, sent an
urgent letter to the Education Ministry, demanding that the
Ministry cancel its certification of these books and issue a
warning to school principals that these books are
Scientological in nature and must not be used.
Copies of the letter were sent to the new Education
Minister, Limor Livnat and to Dorit Morag, the Ministry's
legal advisor. In the letter, Attorney Moskowitz notes, "All
of the government committees that examined cults in Israel
have cited the Scientology cult as one of the most dangerous
mystical cults in the world."
Rabbi Moshe Lachover of Lev L'Achim's Anti-Cult Department,
noted that although the cult is being represented by a well-
known publicity firm whose proprietor is himself a cult
member and a well known Knesset lobbyist, the cult failed in
its attempts to ban the administering of Ritalin to children
with behavioral difficulties.
A stormy deliberation was held at a meeting of the Drugs
Committee of the Knesset on this issue. At the meeting,
attended by Lev L'Achim representatives, worldwide experts
in the field as well as Health Ministry experts and doctors
from both public and private health services presented their
professional opinions. All opposed the Scientology cult
demand with respect to Ritalin, which the cult had backed
with an expensive publicity campaign.
The Lev L'Achim administration has issued repeated warnings
to the public to avoid all contact with workshops "for the
improvement of independence of thought" and similar topics
without thoroughly clarifying who is behind these courses.
This warning is issued in the light of recurrent unfortunate
incidents. In order to help the community to check these
courses, Lev L'Achim has instituted an information service,
which can be reached by dialing the toll free number: 1-800-
366-100.
