Court approves gender-segregated rally in Tel Aviv
The 'Messiah in the Square' rally will take place as scheduled at Rabin Square after criticism from the district court lead the Tel Aviv municipality to retract its objections.
The Tel Aviv's District Court, which serves as the city's administrative court, decided on Sunday to allow the controversial gender-segregated "Messiah in the Square" rally, which is set to take place Monday at Rabin Square.
Judge Kobi Vardi criticized the Tel Aviv Municipality's conduct and Mayor Ron Huldai's ultimatum according to which the event would be canceled if it remains gender-segregated.
The Tel Aviv municipality eventually retracted its demand to hold the rally without gender segregation, making the petition unnecessary.
"Mayor Ron Huldai announced he would honor the court's decision, however continue insisting not to have gender-segregated events in Tel Aviv," the municipality said in the wake of the court's decision.
"By doing so, the municipality draws a red line regarding discrimination and gender segregation in the public space. It should be noted that the municipality has told the organizers it objects the separation only last week, since it hadn't received the attorney general's approval it is authorized to do so before that," the municipality added.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe's followers asked to hold the event honoring the rabbi under the title of "Faith, joy, redemption" at the famous Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. Singer Ariel Zilber and a children's' choir are set to perform at the event.
Before the municipality decided to retact its objections to the rally, the district court heard a petition filed by attorneys Itay Rozin and Yaniv Cohen on behalf of the "True and Complete Redemption" organization, which is affiliated with the organizers of the rally, the Hasidic Chabad movement's radical messianic faction.
The petition demanded to issue a conditional order instructing the Tel Aviv Municipality to justify its demand that the rally proceed without gender separation in light of the fact the rally is an event meant for the ultra-Orthodox sector.
They claimed the "Messiah in the Square" rally takes place every year in addition to many other events being held in public spaces with complete gender separation.
The petition states that an official request was submitted in March to the municipality asking to hold the rally while clearly noting the event is planned to be gender-segregated. It claimed the request was approved the next day.
The attorneys also argued that the municipality decided to oppose the rally because of political pressure.
