In the wake of the removal of an indecent display in the
Haifa museum, MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni sent letters to the
Attorney General and to other prominent figures, in which he
presented a number of penetrating questions regarding the
behavior of the media and the politicians in the affair. The
work of "art" was offensive to the Christian community, in
addition to being vulgar and lewd, and the Christian
community, including many Arabs who live in the Haifa area,
protested the museum display.
Rabbi Gafni sent clippings from the newspapers which reported
the removal of the display by Christians in Haifa, and noted
that the reports were relegated to the inner pages of the
newspapers -- which would not have occurred if chareidim had
been instrumental in removing the display.
In the letter, Rabbi Gafni asked: Why haven't public figures
and MK's issued irate reactions over the offense to freedom
of culture, as they usually do? Why didn't the media come
forward to protect freedom of expression, as it frequently
does, and as it would have most certainly have done if the
"offense" had been caused by chareidim?
The newspaper reports in the media said that a group of young
Christians entered the museum, went wild, broke the display
piece, and pushed the artists into one of the rooms.
"Why is the media so quiet about the affair?" Rabbi Gafni
asked pointedly. Shouldn't that be front page news as it most
certainly would be if chareidim rioted?
The reports also said that the police told the two artists
who were responsible for the display to leave Haifa, because
they couldn't assume responsibility for their safety. In his
letter, Rabbi Gafni asks the State Prosecutor why no
instructions to open an investigation were made, as is done
in far less serious cases.
"Is it possible to infer that in the State of Israel, freedom
of culture, art and speech in such cases, is a code word for
offense to the Torah observant community?" Rabbi Gafni
asked.
The letter was sent to the Attorney General, Eliakim
Rubinstein, to General Prosecutor Edna Arbel, to Speaker of
the Knesset Avraham Burg, to Justice Minister Yossi Beilin,
to Internal Security Minister Shlomo Ben Ami, and to the
mayor of Haifa, Amram Mitzna.
