Dec 13, 2016
ban on tzedaka collectors at Kotel being lifted?
The law proposal proposed yesterday by Minister Aryeh Deri regarding the decorum regulations in the Kotel area underwent some last minute changes.
Deri acquiesced to the demands of tzedaka collectors and removed the reference in the law banning the collecting of tzedaka in the entire Kotel area. All those people would have been subject to fines of up to 10,000nis and/or up to 6 months in jail.
source: Behadrei
I find two points here interesting:
1. The gabbai tzedaka that protested to Shas MKs and pressured them to have it removed said, "It is is not possible that a person will be thrown in jail for collecting tzedaka".
That is not comprehensible, and nobody should be thrown in jail for collecting tzedaka (unless they harass people in the process or break other laws in the process). However, this was in, and taken out of, the same law that wants to throw people in jail for wearing tefillin and reading the Torah, so as bad as this looked, the rest of it looks as well. It is funny to use that explanation while banning these other things (even though it is only being banned for women)
2. I thought collecting tzedaka was already banned form the Kotel area, even though it was never actually enforced. You can even see it as explicitly forbidden in the sign at the Kotel entrance.. so what changed, besides for the prison sentence - or maybe that alone was enough to worry them? And, if it won't be in the new law (if the law passes), will it be removed form the existing decorum sign boards? Will it be fully allowed or still banned but not punishable by fine and imprisonment?
Deri acquiesced to the demands of tzedaka collectors and removed the reference in the law banning the collecting of tzedaka in the entire Kotel area. All those people would have been subject to fines of up to 10,000nis and/or up to 6 months in jail.
source: Behadrei
I find two points here interesting:
1. The gabbai tzedaka that protested to Shas MKs and pressured them to have it removed said, "It is is not possible that a person will be thrown in jail for collecting tzedaka".That is not comprehensible, and nobody should be thrown in jail for collecting tzedaka (unless they harass people in the process or break other laws in the process). However, this was in, and taken out of, the same law that wants to throw people in jail for wearing tefillin and reading the Torah, so as bad as this looked, the rest of it looks as well. It is funny to use that explanation while banning these other things (even though it is only being banned for women)
2. I thought collecting tzedaka was already banned form the Kotel area, even though it was never actually enforced. You can even see it as explicitly forbidden in the sign at the Kotel entrance.. so what changed, besides for the prison sentence - or maybe that alone was enough to worry them? And, if it won't be in the new law (if the law passes), will it be removed form the existing decorum sign boards? Will it be fully allowed or still banned but not punishable by fine and imprisonment?
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I was wondering what would happen with the tzedakah collectors with the new proposal. My gut feeling was that it was an oversight as the ban on collecting was already in place.
ReplyDeleteDoes Deri really believe that he can get this law through the Knesset and the Supreme Court? Is he just trying to pick an 'everyone hates the Haredim' fight to solidify votes before the next election?