(Mayor) Brill to “Yad Le-achim”: “You are not welcome in my Town”

The Arad Municipal Absorption Authority organized a tour for New Immigrants to a concert in the Latrun Monastery, on Saturday, April 22^nd. Activists from “Yad Le-achim” are furious, and claim that the Municipality publicly violates the Sabbath, while participating in a Missionary Show. In a correspondence between “Yad Le-achim” and the Mayor of Arad, Motti Brill accuses “Yad Le-achim” as being responsible for creating religious conflicts in Arad, and informs them, “You are not welcome in my Town.”

In the framework of the diverse events organized by the Municipal Absorption Authority, the Authority initiated a trip for New Immigrants to a concert in the Latrun Monastery, on Saturday, April 22^nd, the day of the “Shabbat Shmini”. When “Yad Le-achim” heard about the planned trip, they claimed it was inappropriate for the Municipal Absorption Authority to participate in a public violation of the Sabbath, together with a “repulsive Missionary Show”, as they defined it. “Yad Le-achim” claimed that, “In the center of the Show are musical pieces of clear Christian nature, which is a phenomenon we must stop,” and addressed the Mayor with an angry letter, in which they asked, “Is it the duty of the Municipal Absorption Authority, to introduce New Immigrants to Christian Characteristics? Is that what they immigrated to Israel for?”

It isn’t the first time activists from “Yad Le-achim” act against what they see as Missionary Activity in Arad. For a long time, activist from “Yad Le-achim” have been holding demonstrations outside the Club and outside the homes of the Messianics, and on February 26^th, they even organized a Protest Assembly against the Mission, which took place in the Sepharadic Synagogue in Arad. The Mayor, in response, wrote the Chairman of “Yad Le-achim”, “If the Almighty doesn’t object to the Arad residents traveling to listen to this concert or the other, who are you to decide it’s against God’s will?” and accused the members of “Yad Le-achim” of being “A group of Jewish men who chose to take the law into their own hands and to prevent legal activities in a Secular Democratic State.”

Dr. Brill went on to add that, “Creating religious conflicts in Arad isn’t acceptable for us, and you are interfering with our peaceful lives. For decades we (the secular Jews) have been living together with the Orthodox Communities of “Gur”, “Chabbad”, and “Shas”; together with Muslim Bedouins who reside in Arad, and together with a small community of Messianic Jews who disturb no one.” According to the Mayor, there has been an attempt to set up a meeting between the leaders of “Yad Le-achim” and the Messianics in Arad, but “Yad Le-achim refused to participate. Following this refusal, the Mayor told the activists from “Yad Le-achim”, “You are not welcome in my Town”.

The Chairman of “Yad Le-achim”, Rabbi Shalom Dov Liefschitz, stated that the Mayor’s letter was rude and outrageous, and added that the Mayor’s attempt to depict Missionary Activity in his town as “Multiculturalism” is a destructive act designed to “convert Jews to the Christian religion,” and asks, “Can we continue with our daily routine when, in the midst of a Jewish town, Missionary Activity is taking place openly, even if it’s done with a sweet tongue and a displayed amiability, it is but a “honey trap”, which the Missionaries are setting for the residents of Arad, New Immigrants and veterans alike.”

Rabbi Liefschitz further stated, that only recently Leaders from the Jewish and the Christian world signed a treaty, declaring that all activity of preaching and persuasion for religious conversion will not be allowed, but the only ones who refused to sign the treaty, according to “Yad Le-achim” are the members of the Messianic Community. In his response to the Mayor of Arad, Rabbi Shalom Dov Liefschitz wrote, “I hope you will internalize our words, and on the days of the Passover, contemplate well on the heritage of the generations, which you, as we, are an offspring of that same Jewish Nation who knew so much suffering, and it’s our duty to rescue Jews from the traps that are being set for them.” And he even sent the Mayor a Shmura Matza for the Passover, adding, “and as the Holy book of the Zohar says – This is a bread of Faith.”