A growing controversy involving religion in the public sphere has erupted in Herzliya after allegations surfaced that a city council member took a pair of tefillin and other sacred items belonging to a chareidi resident, leading to a police complaint and a heated public debate.

At the center of the incident is Yesh Atid city council member Daniel Tchertok, who, according to a report by Channel 14, was captured during an altercation in which he allegedly removed tefillin and religious articles from a local resident.

According to the report, the resident is known in the city for distributing Jewish educational pamphlets at various intersections and soliciting donations from passersby. The resident claims that following the incident, a formal complaint was filed with police.

The report further alleges that Tchertok initially denied involvement in the incident but later offered a different explanation, saying that his actions were connected to his opposition to what he views as religious coercion in public spaces.

The owner of the tefillin expressed outrage over the incident and questioned how such conduct could be justified.

“Is this the way to act? Like this?” he asked. “To steal people’s belongings? Because you don’t want people to hear them… This person has been harassing me for more than two years. He constantly tells me, ‘Get out of here,’ ‘Leave here,’ ‘This is a secular city, don’t come near here.'”

The video footage and accompanying allegations quickly spread online, generating widespread discussion on social media and prompting numerous users to sharply criticize the council member’s alleged conduct.

As public attention intensified, questions were also raised about what critics described as inconsistencies in Tchertok’s explanation of the incident.

Daniel Tchertok did not provide a response to Channel 14’s request for comment regarding the allegations.

{Matzav.com}