At the invitation of Yaakov Wider, a member of the Bnei Brak City Council and the chairman of the Likud in the city, dozens of parents, most of them mothers and children, arrived last night (Wednesday) in an unusual manner at a council meeting - demanding the opening of registration for state-ultra-Orthodox institutions in the city and protesting the closure of the 'Beit Hanoch' Talmud Torah school.
This is a unique institution of its kind in the city and the only one in the region, which combined Torah and general studies at a high level and without discrimination - and was suddenly closed, without prior notice to parents, as a result of which almost 200 children were left without an educational institution.
Initially, the municipality tried to prevent the parents and children from entering. According to the allegations, the mayor's office even called in police in an attempt to deter and block their entry. Vider, the council member, insisted on letting them in and made it clear that this was an illegal move: "The municipality of Bnei Brak belongs to the residents, not to the businessmen. I will not let them throw them out, I will not let the businessmen trample on the residents!"
Although Wieder's urgent proposal to open registration for the MAMAH was placed at the top of the agenda, Mayor Hanoch Seibert chose to close the meeting, without allowing any discussion or voting, apparently out of fear of holding a vote against the grieving parents - in front of their eyes.
"This is a lack of transparency and heartlessness on the part of municipal officials towards hundreds of children and their parents," said Wieder. "The ones who decide on the children's education are only the parents - not the officials."
The parents voiced their outcry to the municipal administration, but the mayor chose to wave them off indifferently, claiming that it "has nothing to do with the municipality" and "it is what it is."
Vider formally appealed during the meeting, demanding that the meeting be reconvened and his proposals be put up for a vote and discussion, as required by law. He warned that if his demand was not met, personal legal action would be considered against those responsible for violating the law and the residents.
The Bnei Brak Municipality responded: "Contrary to incorrect publications, the Bnei Brak Municipality clarifies that the council meeting was held with full transparency, and every resident who arrived at the venue was invited to enter and receive the right to speak.
"There was no restriction on the entry of participants, neither in terms of number nor in terms of time for discussion. The mayor responded to all speakers with patience and respect, while fully listening to their words."
"As is customary at events with large numbers of participants, there were ushers on site from the municipality, whose job it was to maintain order if necessary - but in practice, no intervention was made on their part.
"The municipality will continue to act for the benefit of all residents."
Yaakov Wider: "They called the police, in the video does the woman refer to this? If I hadn't made it clear to the police that it was illegal to evict the residents, they would have found out."
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