In response to a growing number of incidents in which public officials and government institutions sought to interfere with Yiddishkeit and mivtzoim, the Knesset approved new legislation this week aimed at protecting the ability of Yidden to practice mitzvos in public spaces and government institutions.

The legislation follows numerous recent cases in which municipalities and public bodies attempted to bar public events that included a mechitzah, allowing men and women to sit separately, including minyonim, concerts, and other gatherings.

It also comes in response to repeated efforts by officials to shut down Chabad tefillin stands operating legally in streets, parks, and other public areas throughout the country.

The bill, which passed by a vote of 49 in favor and 35 opposed, grants the Minister of Justice the authority to withhold government funding from such institutions or remove public officials who attempt to interfere with the fulfillment of these mitzvos.

Supporters of the law emphasized that its purpose is not to compel anyone to put on tefillin or to daven with a mechitzah, but to ensure that no authority has the right to block the observance of mitzvos.

They stressed that these are fundamental expressions of Yiddishkeit, practiced openly for generations – even under the most difficult circumstances – and should not face barriers in a Jewish state.

Following its approval in the Knesset plenum, the bill will now be transferred to the Knesset Committee, which will determine the appropriate committee for further deliberation and preparation of the legislation for the next stages of the legislative process.