Hundreds of Students Protest Preventing Laying of Tefillin at Herzliya High School
After the principal of Herzliya High School in Tel Aviv, Zeev Dagani, prevented the laying of tefillin in violation of the municipal by-law, hundreds of students protested outside the institution and blocked the road. The incident took place on Wednesday, with MK Almog Cohen from Otzma Yehudit arriving to support the young people, many of whom welcomed his arrival. YSM forces also arrived at the scene.
During the protest, Cohen addressed the young people, referencing a recent event on October 7 in which individuals were killed because they were Jewish. The singer Kobi Peretz also joined the protest and assisted the students in laying tefillin outside the school.
However, tensions arose as students who opposed the protest and expressed their differing opinions were subjected to hateful chants, including “Go to Gaza, you stinking leftist, it’s a shame you’re not in the tunnels now.” The situation escalated when several dozen individuals began chasing a student, with one person reportedly pulling out a stun gun.
The outrage stemmed from a previous incident in which Dagani was recorded calling out to a Chabad activist, stating, “You are causing unrest here.” In response, the activist asked, “Is listening to God causing unrest?” Dagani also questioned a Mossad student about why he was laying tefillin, to which the student replied, “I feel like it, I feel like laying them here.”
The incident has sparked significant debate and garnered attention due to the clash of beliefs and the use of force during the protest.