A complaint was filed with the police on Sunday against a professor from Tel Aviv who was filmed eating an ice pop at the Meir Garden in the city during Yom Kippur services.
The gentleman in question was filmed on Sunday during the prayers eating an ice pop in the women's section at a service that was held on the fast day with gender separation per a Supreme Court ruling.
The complaint was submitted by right-wing activists who noted that the act "is an infringement of Section 171 of the Penal Code called 'disruption of worship.'"
According to the law "one who intentionally disrupts a gathering of people who gathered legally for religious worship, or intentionally attacks someone who is playing a role at the said gathering or one of its participants, and can not prove justification or legal justice, will be sentenced to three years in prison."
Mordechai Westrail, who initiated the complaint, stated: "Like many others, I was also hurt to see the footage of the disrespect toward Yom Kippur and offense to the worshipers. The service was held in accordance with the Supreme Court's instructions and there is no reason to prevent it from happening."
Last week, after the Supreme Court ruled that the Rosh Yehudi outreach organization could hold gender-separated services at the Meir Garden in Tel Aviv, the organization decided to cancel it anyway.
Organization heads reported that: "Even though the Supreme Court ruled in our favor, due to the fear of provocations, Rosh Yehudi will hold Yom Kippur prayers at the synagogue at 54 Bar Kochba Street, and not at Gan Meir.”
Extreme left-wing activists had posted on social media that they would come on Yom Kippur to the area of Gan Meir, to disrupt the prayers with loud music and other means of disturbance.
Despite the threats, a group of Tel Avivians held services in the garden independently of the outreach organization.