The Ramat Gan municipality imposed a fine against a business owner who hung a protest sign against the gay pride parade. Although this is an administrative fine issued by the municipal signage department, Carmel Mayor Shama Hacohen also writes to the fine's notice. The lawyer for the business wrote to Shama Hacohen protesting against the "violation of freedom of expression."
The protest sign hung by the business owner reads, "Sighing and being grateful for all the abominations committed within it. Great abominations that the house of Israel is doing here, to keep it away from my holy places."
Carmel Shama Hacohen, Mayor of Ramat Gan, Photo: Moshe Shai
According to the business owner's lawyer, Attorney Menashe Yado of Honenu, this is a protest sign against the hanging of pride flags throughout the city as part of solidarity with the commemoration of Pride Month.
In response to the hanging of the sign, the Ramat Gan municipality fined him three tickets within a few days totaling NIS 730 per report, claiming that he violated the municipal bylaw regarding signage and that he erected a sign without authorization. In addition, the municipality sent the resident a warning letter stating that it would take action against him if he did not remove the sign, and oddly enough, the municipality's signage department wrote Carmel Mayor Shama Hacohen.
His lawyer wrote to the mayor against the violation of freedom of expression: "My client, whose voice of protest against the spirit of pride that adorns the city is already familiar to the municipality from previous years, contacted me this year as well regarding the municipality's conduct, which will be detailed below. According to my client, so far he has already received two fine notices for a "Shema Yisrael" sign and a protest sign against the municipality's targeting of LGBT flags. My client's act constitutes a legitimate protest and a legitimate expression of a contrary voice. A plurality of opinions is a cornerstone of the liberal constitutional society of the State of Israel. Unfortunately, the Ramat Gan municipality, which has taken the side of identification with the LGBT public, is not satisfied with flagging the city with pride flags as stated, but also demands that the mouths of those who dare to make a different voice be shut up. Keeping mouths shut by virtue of a municipal bylaw is a blatantly illegal act."
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"Freedom of expression may not be acted against except by virtue of primary legislation, and for a proper purpose and to an extent not exceeding what is required. A municipal bylaw is not called primary legislation for this purpose, and the purpose of keeping mouths shut is not a proper purpose. Therefore, the outrageous order by the Ramat Gan municipality to issue my client an additional fine notice of NIS 730 every day in order to break his protest reflects an abuse of the powers set forth in the bylaw regarding notices and billboards, for a blatantly anti-democratic and anti-liberal purpose. beyond the fact that there is no constitutional or legal validity to these fine notices." In his letter, Attorney Yado demands that the Ramat Gan municipality retract its conduct.
The Ramat Gan municipality said: "We routinely enforce signs that are hung illegally, fearlessly and impartially. In the case in question, we know from past experience that this is a business owner and a provocateur for whom the truth and love of every human being is not a guiding principle, and as stated, the sign was hung without lawful authorization and therefore removed. In the city there are various signs and flags, from Chabad flags through Israeli and city flags to LGBT flags, and in particular they have been duly approved. Illegal signs, let alone signs with an inciting and derogatory message, will be removed.
"To the extent that the reporter has details about additional signs that were hung illegally as alleged, we will be happy for him to pass them on to us and they will be enforced accordingly. For the avoidance of doubt, the Ramat Gan Municipality has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for manifesting hatred in the public sphere in general, and towards the LGBT community in particular. The pride flags hanging throughout the city were installed by law and by the municipality itself."
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