Chareidi and religious MKs urged the police on Monday to
prohibit the awful event scheduled to take place in Jerusalem
next Friday in spite of unprecedented cross-party and
interfaith opposition.
During a Knesset Interior Committee meeting, chareidim and
religious MKs lodged piercing criticism against plans to hold
the detestable event in Jerusalem, telling police
representatives that just as they forbid the Jews of the
organization Ne'emanei Har Habayis from entering the Har
Habayis area to maintain the peace and the public safety, so
too should they prevent the offensive parade from taking
place in the Holy City.
MKs appealed to the police to take advantage of the High
Court ruling granting them the authority to decide whether or
not to issue a parade permit, noting that an enormous number
of Jews from all streams and all parts of the country plan to
stage a counter-protest. They said that the event should be
banned to preclude the possibility of violence from erupting
or extreme incidents from taking place.
Over 60 MKs from both right-wing and left-wing parties signed
a petition against the event.
MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni said that this is the first time Meretz,
which always prides itself for defending Muslim interests, is
standing united in defense of the abominable event despite
the opposition of the Muslim public in Jerusalem and around
the country.
Deputy Mayor Yigal Amadi asked to preserve the status quo and
the peace in the city and presented the municipality's
opposition to the event.
Sheikh al-Salam, representing the Muslim community, also
issued a charged call to stop the event, referring to it as
Sodom and Gomorrah. As the heart of the world, Jerusalem must
be clean and pure like the skies, he said, adding that such
an event could cause great harm to the city.
Policing the event would mean requiring thousands of police,
which could compromise security in other areas. A police
representative said the police would reassess the situation
as the date draws closer.
