The Golden Calf - In the Artists' Village of Ein Hod

Translation / Interpretation / Caption Text

Sighting: Entrance to the Religious Council building in Holon, Israel - January 2011

Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who didn't trouble himself over the lack of advanced fire and rescue services, is not guilty. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who ignored those very same issues is not responsible.

Even fate which placed the prison service officers' bus at the center of the blaze or the two teens who are suspected of throwing a burning ember – have nothing to do with the fire and its appalling consequences. A poster at the Holon Rabbinate offices explains that the Carmel fire was caused due to the holding of pagan rituals, debauchery, adultery and desecration of Shabbat.

For a few days now, the colorful poster claiming that the Carmel fire took place due, among other things, to the "golden calf ceremony" held in Ein Hod and the fact that the towns in the Carmel region "bake pita bread over the Passover holiday" has been hanging at the entrance to the Religious Council building in Holon, an institution which is kept thanks to public funding.

"Why did the country burn?" the heading on the poster read while colorful pictures underneath it detailed the reasons for the fire that claimed the lives of 44 people.

"Idolatry of the golden calf, by hundreds and thousands in the artists' village of Ein Hod, turning the entire torah of Israel into a joke, baking pita bread during the Passover holiday out of spite, massive desecration of the Sabbath, debauchery and adultery by the thousands; how could God not burn the region?

...Following complaints, the head of the Holon religious council and Shas party member Amos Barnes in a conversation with Ynet, promised that the poster would be removed. "We respect the people that hung the poster, so it remained there for a few days and then it's taken off. I didn't really get to see it because I was abroad, but I did see a picture of a calf," he admitted.

"I understand that it offends people, so we'll take it down," he added.

Source: Ynet news

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4010274,00.html