Yaakov Wider, a member of the Bnei Brak City Council who serves as the municipal opposition, contacted the Ministry of Interior following the refusal of the City Council management to postpone a regular council meeting, which was scheduled for a date when he is serving in the reserves.
According to Wieder, this meeting was postponed twice in the past at the request of coalition members for personal reasons, without most of them presenting a clear reason, and their requests were immediately granted. However, when the council member asked the opposition not to schedule the meeting on a date when he could not attend due to reserve service, the response was that "there is no reason to consider that.".
Wieder sharply attacked the conduct of Mayor Hanoch Seibert, writing to him: "Although you are convinced that this is so - the City Council is not a private club for you and your friends, and its meetings are not supposed to be determined according to your convenience and whims.".
He added: "Holding a meeting where significant and irreversible decisions are expected to be made for the city and its residents, including the distribution of public land worth hundreds of millions, as well as huge budgetary decisions, without the participation of the active opposition - severely harms public oversight and the representation of the city's residents.".
After the refusal, Vider contacted the Ministry of the Interior with a request to intervene: "This is a fundamental defect that violates the basic principles of equality between council members, proper democratic oversight and reasonable administrative management, and it is the duty of the Ministry of the Interior to intervene and prevent this.".
According to Wieder, beyond the fact that this is an abuse of the timing of council meetings in order to prevent opposition participation, this is an interesting test case, which may determine in the future how municipalities will behave in cases where a council member is required for reserve service.
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