Independent journalist Hila Tov sparked controversy after claiming that Tel Aviv is being “conquered" by religious Jews, and questioning why they choose to live “in the heart of secularism."
The journalist, who is the mother of Michael Hauser Tov of Haaretz, triggered a broad public uproar on social media.
The controversy began after Tov published a post protesting the presence of religious residents in her hometown, Tel Aviv. In the post, she included a photo of an armed religious man carrying a long gun alongside a father pushing a baby stroller.
“In a disturbing and revolting way, Tel Aviv is being conquered by kippah-wearers with guns, and by groups in the ‘Rosh Yehudi’ style," Tov wrote. “And don’t start with ‘there’s room for everyone’ - because there isn’t. Look at what’s happening in Arad, for example. The takeover of Tel Aviv is deliberate and systematic. If not to poke a finger in the eye, why come settled specifically in the heart of secularism?"
The post sparked a wave of harsh reactions from many users, some of whom accused Tov of antisemitism, with one commenter writing that “this tweet would probably sound even better in German."
Guy Levy, spokesperson for Likud, responded sarcastically by suggesting she open a dedicated email address where people could submit formal applications to move to the city for her approval.
On the other hand, a resident of central Tel Aviv who identified himself as secular expressed a more moderate view toward the religious presence: “I think we would gain a lot as a society if we stopped looking at people as groups and started looking at them as individuals. I have religious-Zionist friends - heaven forbid - who live in central Tel Aviv because they love the city, the proximity to the sea, and being close to friends. Not everything is part of some malicious plan."
Right-wing activist Ayelet Lash also criticized the remarks and pointed to what she described as hypocrisy on the left: “When we live in Judea and Samaria, you shout ‘get out of there.’ When we move to the Gaza border area, you shout ‘but why there?’ When we go to Metula, you shout ‘the religious are conquering Metula.’ When we arrive in Lod, you shout ‘why did you come to stir things up?’ You want coexistence with Nazi Arabs but can’t stand seeing your own brothers wearing kippahs within your radius. Tell me more about the inclusion, pluralism, humanity, and tolerance of the Israeli left."
