In Herzliya, a hail of stones and curses greeted members of the Daat Emet organization, who believe that the Torah was written by man
Members of the Daat Emet organization, which champions the separation of religion and state, were subjected to a furious evening this week in Herzliya. Their lecture in the city was at first cancelled, and only with the intervention of the mayor, Yael Gorman, was it held as scheduled. But the event did not come off quietly, and they were greeted by a hail of stones and curses from dozens of religious people who protested outside the hall.
The organization was founded by Yaron Yadan, a secular person who became religious and then returned to secularism. A week ago Yadan was interviewed by Al HaSharon and claimed that the organization's goals are to prove the Holy Writ is full of contradictions and errors and that therefore there is no chance it was written by G-d.
On Monday Yadan came to the Yabud community center in Herzliya to give a lecture on the topic, but the center's director, Erez Weinberg, informed him that the lecture had been canceled, because posters announcing the event had been hung in an unlawful manner. Yadan: "The signs were torn down and destroyed by anonymous agents."
"We turned to the mayor, and she told us that she would do everything in her power to safeguard freedom of expression in the city." Gorman lived up to her promises and the lecture took place on schedule.
But even Gorman could not stop dozens of religious protestors from gathering outside the hall, throwing stones at the windows and screaming things like "You'll go to hell!" "Apostates!" "Missionaries!" Police from the Gelilot precinct were called to the spot and some 15 police officers stopped the demonstrators from breaking in to the lecture. At the end of the event the police escorted Yadan home. Yadan: "The situation is not simple, even in a secular city. It should worry everyone who is interested in democracy and freedom of expression."
Weinberg responded: "I work for the city. Ask the spokeswoman."
The Herzliya municipality: "As soon as the cancellation was announced, the mayor explicitly ordered that it was to be held."
From Al HaSharon July 12, 2002