Let's start by noting the fact that I'm not sure that all of you know who Ofer Berkowitz is... Ofer is the chairman of the Awakening Party in Jerusalem, he cares about residents who were born into the right, secular, and enlightened sector.
The Awakening Party is a "pluralist" party, by its own definition. Pluralist? I have no choice but to mock them. Their pluralism includes everyone, except us, the ultra-Orthodox, who have been left out of the "array of people with equal rights.".
What are these things supposed to mean? It all started this week when Mr. Ofer Berkowitz uploaded a vile post to his Facebook account (in the middle of Shabbat, so we couldn't respond) full of hatred against Haredim, due to the municipality's desire to grant permission to continue operating illegal Haredim kindergartens in Kiryat Yuval.
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Thus writes Berkowitz: "This is a wake-up call for everyone who cares about Jerusalem. This is a wake-up call for all residents and lovers of Kiryat Yuval - a neighborhood that is now at a fateful and critical crossroads for its future.".
Last Wednesday, June 17, the Jerusalem Municipality Planning and Building Committee approved illegal Haredi institutions operating in Kiryat Yuval. The committee has recently been run by the United Torah Judaism faction, under the direction of the mayor. Hitorerut representatives on the committee voted against the proposal, while the mayor's representatives abstained from the vote.
On July 1, the committee plans to approve additional Haredi institutions operating in the neighborhood, also without approval. It appears that this is a comprehensive decision to approve all Haredi institutions currently operating without approval in the neighborhood. This decision will severely damage the character of the neighborhood and will determine its future. We are not willing to remain indifferent to this! We have a mandate from the public to protect the diverse character of Jerusalem.
We want to remind the mayor of the public that elected him, our supporters and many others! We believe that we must work to find solutions for the needs of the Haredi public, quality solutions, in the Beit Vegan neighborhood, which is adjacent to Kiryat Yuval, and is located 500 meters away. In this way, we will protect all the communities in the city and create security for them. Any attempt to threaten the delicate balances, by establishing illegal institutions, is not right for Jerusalem and not right for the rule of law. Let's sign the petition and make it clear to the mayor that Kiryat Yuval is important to us, Jerusalem is important to us, and we must change his decision! Together we can influence and ensure the character and future of the neighborhood.".
This is where the man's post, full of hatred, lies, and distortions, ends.
I took a moment to catch my breath, and wrote an angry response to Ofer. I will try to clarify myself on a few points:
1. There are about 6,000 people in the neighborhood who belong to the Haredi population. The municipality does not provide educational institutions for the Haredi because we are not doing anything "black in the eye" to us. It is probably terrible that "pluralist" residents will see us walking around the neighborhood during the afternoon, to pick up our children from the institutions.
The municipality will insist on giving empty educational institutions 6-7 children per class - schools that were supposed to be closed to residents outside the city, and to distant neighborhoods, so that, God forbid, they don't fall into our hands.
2. Ofer, you distorted a bit. Maybe it wasn't a distortion but a "failure to report the truth." Who would pay attention to the truth? The Beit Vegan neighborhood is not 500 meters from Kiryat Yovel, but only from the beginning of one street, Torah and Labor Street, which itself is the "seam line" between the neighborhoods. However, in reality, it is a distance of several kilometers (Kiryat Yovel is not a small neighborhood...)
And one more thing, Ofer. They too lived 2 meters from Beit Vegan, that has no relevance. Using the adorable pair of words: "Go to Beit Vegan" as if this is the new, empty ghetto to which we (ultra-Orthodox) Jews are being thrown does not add much respect to you.
Did you think that there are Haredi residents in Beit Vegan who have educational institutions and are not interested in studying in deplorable conditions? Just last week I spoke with a mother from Beit Vegan, whose daughter is scheduled to start first grade next year, who thanked me for my column from last week in which I described the deplorable state of Beit Yaakov in Beit Vegan, which has reached a deplorable state where the school has 1,700 students, 700 of whom come from Kiryat Yuval, and they are forced to study in trailers in the school yard. There is hardly a day that girls don't return home bruised from injuries due to the high overcrowding.
3. I still don't understand how it is possible that residents with equal rights as taxpayers are so blatantly excluded? Are you Haredim? You will not accept and be punished.
Berkowitz's response: I have no hatred
In my conversation with Mr. Berkowitz about the post, after I attacked him relatively gently... I received the following response: "Hello Almog, I don't have a drop of hatred for the Haredim. I seek to prevent conflicts between the various and legitimate needs of Haredim - kollels, synagogues, classes in segregated settings, Sabbath observance, and the opposite secular needs.
Anyone who wants to ensure the success of Jerusalem needs to know how to protect all sectors here, this is for the benefit of both the ultra-Orthodox and the secular. I have no doubt that a large portion of the ultra-Orthodox pay taxes, and they deserve rights just like everyone else. If you ask me, I am ready to increase resources for educational solutions for the ultra-Orthodox public.
"It has nothing to do with Ethiopians, Russians, Arabs or Sudanese, it has to do with the degree of religiosity and different needs. I live in a wonderful mixed neighborhood called Nachlaot, with secular and religious Haredim, and I have no problem seeing the whole and the diversity of people.".
But what, Ofer is again giving half-truths. He himself knows very well that the Haredim in the neighborhood never asked to close a road on Shabbat.
The conflicts that already exist are created only because of the activities of various "free" activists who are not willing to recognize us.
The Haredim in Kiryat Yuval do not receive any classes or services from the community administration, which operates with a distinctly anti-religious approach, along with Kiryat Yuval Free (from Beit Yisrael Free). And the answer to this racist discrimination is once again the usual:
Go to the house and garden.
