Huldai Responds: ‘We Never Threatened Shuls, It’s All Lies’

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai addressed the growing backlash Sunday afternoon over the city’s controversial requirement that Orthodox shuls sign an agreement containing a clause that contradicts their religious beliefs.

“In Tel Aviv-Jaffa there are hundreds of shuls operating in full and fruitful cooperation with the municipality,” he wrote. “There is no basis to the lies being spread online today about the city, as if we threatened shuls in the city. The clause in question was part of a standard municipal contract for the allocation of public buildings, and it has long since been revised and resolved in coordination with shul administrators throughout the city, with mutual understanding and acceptance.”

Huldai further stated, “What we are seeing now is wild incitement by ministers and Knesset members whose political strategy is to deepen hatred and division among the public; they have nothing else to offer. The truth no longer matters to them. They call us ‘cursed evildoers.’ I think it’s pretty clear who represents the face of evil in our society.”

According to a report published by Yediot Acharonot, the Tel Aviv Municipality recently sent letters to nonprofit organizations that manage roughly 130 shuls, informing them that they must sign updated contracts. These agreements include a requirement that the shuls “provide religious services to all neighborhood residents, regardless of age, gender, or belief.” Any shul that refuses to comply could face eviction proceedings.

Many of these shuls date back to before the founding of the State of Israel, having been built on municipal lands granted decades ago. While the city is now attempting to formalize their legal status under new agreements, worshippers argue that the conditions imposed by the municipality threaten the integrity of Jewish tradition.

“This clause is outrageous,” said attorney David Shub, who is representing the shuls voluntarily. “Signing such a commitment means opening prayers to other religious streams or even other faiths, while at the same time prohibiting a women’s section or gender separation. This is secular coercion disguised as equality.”

During a recent hearing at the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, a representative of the municipality argued: “If a shul in a secular neighborhood does not serve the residents, it can be used for other purposes.” Another city lawyer clarified that any shul refusing to comply with the new terms would simply be replaced by a different operator willing to follow them.

Shul representatives have warned that signing these contracts could expose them to lawsuits claiming gender-based discrimination or exclusion. They further caution that, under such an agreement, courts could eventually intervene in determining the texts of tefillos based on the demographic composition of the surrounding neighborhood.

One ongoing legal battle involves the “L’zecher Kedoshei Antopol” shul, which refused to sign the city’s contract and is now facing eviction. In a separate case, the Rabbinical Court declared that the Tiferet Zvi shul functions as a religious endowment to prevent its closure, but the municipality has appealed to the High Court of Justice, where the case remains unresolved.

Responding to the criticism, the Tel Aviv Municipality said: “The agreement is intended to ensure that there is no discrimination or exclusion in a shul operating on public land. This is not an unusual measure, but a standard contractual arrangement.”

Shul leaders, however, continue to raise alarms about the broader implications of the city’s policy. “If this demand passes, it will mean one thing — the systematic silencing of Jewish tradition in the name of ‘equality’. Shuls will be forced to choose between faithfulness to halacha or basic survival.”

{Matzav.com Israel}