Independent journalist Hila Tov sparked a public backlash after claiming that Tel Aviv is being “conquered” by religious Jews, drawing accusations of intolerance and hypocrisy from critics online.
The controversy began after Tov posted a photo showing an armed religious man carrying a long gun near a father pushing a baby stroller. In the post, she criticized the presence of religious residents and groups in Tel Aviv, describing the city as “the heart of secularism.”
“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.
She rejected the argument that “there’s room for everyone,” saying there was not, and pointed to Arad as an example of what she described as a religious takeover. She claimed that the movement of religious Jews into Tel Aviv was “deliberate and systematic.”
“If not to poke a finger in the eye, why come settle specifically in the heart of secularism?” she wrote.
The post quickly drew criticism across social media. Some users accused Tov of anti-religious prejudice, while others said her language sounded like rhetoric that would be unacceptable if directed at any other Jewish group. One commenter wrote that the post “would probably sound even better in German.”
Likud spokesman Guy Levy responded sarcastically, suggesting that Tov open a special email address where people could submit applications for permission to move to Tel Aviv.
