An ultra-Orthodox split in Jerusalem? In a vote held yesterday (Sunday) in the municipal finance committee on a budget for the community administration in Kiryat HaYovel, the vote of the ultra-Orthodox representatives was split: while representatives of United Torah Judaism in Jerusalem opposed, Shas representatives chose to abstain. Haim Epstein, a representative of Bnei Torah, abstained.
After the problematic item of approving the country club in Ramot was removed from the agenda, following an agreement between the mayor and Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri, and after a meeting held on Friday with Shas representatives in Jerusalem - Zvika Cohen and Nati Lasri, two additional controversial items remained: 140,000 shekels for the library and half a million shekels for a leadership program for the community administration in Kiryat Yoval, "Yuvalim.".
The problem is not the goals for which the budget transfer is intended, but rather the Yuvalim Community Administration, which is known to be anti-Haredi, whose administrators refuse to allow any activity for the Haredi residents of the neighborhood. The Haredi factions sought to prevent the transfer of budgets to Yuvalim until the policy that discriminates against the Haredi is changed.
But after the summaries between Barkat and Deri, the Shas representatives decided not to oppose the budget transfer - but also not to vote in favor. The decision was severely criticized, and United Torah Judaism accuses Shas of various compromises, in exchange for which they were willing to cooperate with Barkat.
In practice, the library section was defeated, after council members Moshe Leon and Arie King joined the three United Torah Judaism representatives, Eliezer Rauchberger, Yaakov Halperin, and Shlomo Rosenstein. The budget section of the leadership plan passed, and this was because King chose to vote with the secular factions, arguing that "it is a welcome plan.".
Shas sees things differently. In a conversation with Haredim10, Shas council member Nachmaniel Saban, who is known as the "Kiryat Yuval portfolio holder" in the Haredi factions, due to being a member of the Yuvalim board and a resident of the neighborhood, explains the move.
""First," he wants to clarify, "the move was fully supported by the neighborhood rabbis. I went in for consultation on Saturday night and presented the full picture, and this is the answer I received. I believe that the other representatives also acted on the instructions of their rabbis.".
""I came to the rabbis and said, on Friday, there was a meeting between Shas members and Barkat, and there was a clear commitment on his part that during the coming month, comprehensive discussions would be held on the entire issue of the mixed neighborhoods, including Kiryat Yuval and the Yuvalim administration. The mayor made it clear that the discussions would be held out of a desire to reach an agreement and with full consideration for the needs of the Haredim. The rabbis told me: Give him the opportunity, and we'll see what happens on the ground during the month.".
Are you being accused of selling Kiryat Yuval in exchange for Barkat?
""I don't see any benefit in war for the sake of war. Once we exhaust the dialogue with the mayor, we will know how to act with all the tools and all the forces, and we have already proven this in the past. I am the last one who can be accused of 'selling' Kiryat Yuval. As a member of the administration, I worked in the previous term, together with the representatives on the council, to bring an ultra-Orthodox budget to Kiryat Yuval for the first time. I led the fight for the 'Warburg plot' - after Barkat wanted to bring a secular yeshiva there, and we won.".
What are the relations with Torah Judaism?
""We have good and fruitful cooperation, we are two separate parties, and we don't have to agree on everything. But in general, we coordinate among ourselves and hold joint consultations.".
A senior official in Torah Judaism tells Haredim10: "I don't believe there will be a situation where cooperation with Shas will not continue.".
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