Haredi Rabbis Announce Boycott of Sea of Galilee Attractions Over Mixed-Gender Beach Policy

Senior rabbis from the Haredi community's Edah HaChareidis have declared an economic and consumer boycott against tourist attractions and businesses around the Sea of Galilee. This protest targets the Tiberias municipality's decision to operate a mixed-gender beach and remove physical partitions in part of the area near the access road to the tomb of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness. The rabbis criticize the move as a "terrible obstacle," arguing that the removal of barriers between the ancient cemetery and Tiberias hot springs, which includes the tombs of Maimonides and Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, exposes religious pedestrians and drivers to sight of swimmers in bathing suits, effectively restricting their free access to these religious sites.

The boycott forbids Haredi educational institutions, summer camps, yeshivas, and families from renting or visiting these attractions, even during gender-segregated hours. The community hopes this economic pressure will compel business owners to urge the municipality to reverse the decision. Concurrently, the rabbis have demanded that Tiberias city officials promptly reconsider the policy and find a solution that respects the religious public's needs.

Until the situation is resolved, tens of thousands of Haredi visitors during the summer season have been instructed to avoid the main route between the ancient cemetery and the tomb square, using alternative roads instead. This development highlights escalating religious and political tensions in Tiberias over public space usage and religious sensitivities.