Christian events in Jerusalem only if city's rabbis approve

Monday, June 29, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff

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Christians , Jerusalem

As thousands of Christians attended a conference at the Payis Arena last month, haredi ultra-Orthodox officials expressed their anger at the Municipality and the management of the Payis Arena for allowing a Christian organization to hold a conference at the venue last month. The event was eventually held as planned, despite the haredi outcry, due to legal issues involved in calling off the already approved event.

A protest by ultra-Orthodox followers was held which defined the event as a "major show of forced conversion," with the haredi media asserted that the event was aimed at convincing Jews to join Christianity with the help of missionaries who had arrived in Israel for that very purpose. There were a few arrests as the protesters ignored police directives and resorted to violence.

The Jerusalem Municipality decided to give in to the haredi demand concerning any future events and has agreed to consult the city's rabbis before approving and issuing permits for any future Christian event that may include "missionary activity".

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