Three months to the local elections in Jerusalem, and candidate Minister Ze’ev Elkin speaks out on the issue of the mixed neighborhoods in Jerusalem, where the chareidim are suffering from the distress of a severe shortage of educational institutions and housing.

In recent years, the mixed neighborhoods in Jerusalem, such as Kiryat Yovel, French Hill, Givat Mordechai and Ramot, have become an attractive destination for relatively young couples who want to establish their place in the capital.

Kikar Shabbos News reports during a parlor meeting held with Elkin, in which he explained he disagrees with the city’s management strategy, especially with regard to the agreement on the mixed neighborhoods that discriminate against thousands of chareidim who live in these neighborhoods.

“My method is different from [Jerusalem Mayor] Nir’s [Barkat] conception of the city’s management,” Elkin began with a group discussion held in one of the mixed neighborhoods in the city where secular and chareidi residents participated. Elkin continued to criticize the mayor, stating, “I do not come from the high-tech. it is about sharing. That is how a political system is built.”

Elkin explained City Hall has prevented local elections in communities for years, simply to prevent chareidim from gaining control in neighborhood councils representing area with many chareidi residents. He explained that in some cases case, the chareidim represent more than half of the community, and therefore, elections were not held, amid the awareness the secular persons who have been in control for years would lose control.

Elkin promises such elections would take place, adding he feels these elections should be held as part of the municipal elections, acknowledging it is too late for the upcoming elections however.

Elkin attacked the mixed neighborhoods agreement that Nir Barkat led by saying: “I do not believe that artificial processes can stop demographic processes in this city, which only causes agitation, because mixed neighborhoods are created because the city does not promote new neighborhoods. If new neighborhoods were promoted for the chareidi public, this issue would not have to exist”, referring to the strife existing in areas like Kiryat Yovel between secular and chareidi residents.

Elkin added, “The municipality made a mistake, I had an argument with Nir Barkat that he did not promote new neighborhoods with all his might, and if new neighborhoods were to reduce tensions, that would be the real solution to the problem of the mixed neighborhoods”.

Elkin continued to attack the mixed neighborhoods agreement: “The way to prevent conflicts between the populations is not through artificial barriers of this kind … How do I do that? I am against transferring buildings from one group to the other, but at the same time I am giving institutions and kindergartens to the chareidim as a change in policy is needed.”

Elkin explained “The neighborhood agreement that Nir built has its advantages and disadvantages, but neither side is happy with it. It would be disastrous for the city if it becomes a one-sector city, and the chareidim must understand that they will not be able to impose their way of life on residents of a neighborhood”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)