Ranaana Battles to Cancel Missionary Event on Shabbos

The city of Ranaana has said it will appeal a ruling by the district court in Lod allowing a missionary-sponsored event in the city center this Shabbos.

Plans for a gathering by the same group on a previous Shabbos two weeks ago were blocked by the city and in that case the court rejected their petition to go ahead with it.

Nevertheless, another petition on Wednesday was granted by the judge, to the shock and outrage of the Jewish community in Ranaana.

At an emergency meeting convened by mayor Zev Beilsky, along with Likud and the religious and other parties, it was decided unanimously to immediately appeal the decision to the High Court, in order to prevent the event from taking place.

Deputy Mayor Chaim Goldman said, “It is unfortunate that the court chose to ignore the sensitivities of thousands of Ranaana residents and prefers instead to take the side of this dangerous group.”

The legal advisor to Yad L’Achim, Moshe Morgenstern, said that although the group has not been outlawed in Israel, Germany and France have done so. It is incumbent on the High Court to take that into account, as well as the feelings of Jewish residents of the city who are deeply offended by such activities.

In the event that the lower court ruling is not reversed, there are plans for a mass tefillas Musaf in the city center, across from the missionary gathering.

This article appeared in print on page 7 of the May 1st, 2015 edition of Hamodia.