Chareidim Protest Against Beit Shemesh City Hall To Stop Mechina Yeshiva From Coming To The City

Tens of litvish chareidim, reportedly from the Yahadut Hatorah community, entered Beit Shemesh City Hall and protested on Tuesday in an effort to prevent funding for the Yedidya Mechina Yeshiva.

The chareidi protestors were from the Old Beit Shemesh area, and they are hoping to stop the opening of the Yedidya Pre-IDF Mechina Yeshiva affiliated by Yeshivat HaKotel.

They learned the city’s budget committee is about to approve the funding for Yeshivat HaKotel to move ahead with the project in the Sheinfeld area of Old Beit Shemesh.

The protestors are not against the dati leumi yeshiva but feel if a yeshiva outside the city is funded ahead of the chareidim, who lack minimal conditions for their school children, it is simply unacceptable.

The meeting in City Hall to hear objections to the project was set for 1:00PM Tuesday, but the city unilaterally moved it up to 11:00AM in the hope of preempting and passing the allocation without hearing the objections from residents.

Attorney Shlomo Eisenstein represents the residents, sent a harsh letter to the city’s attorney general and the budgeting committee, citing the residents have not be given the legal forum to express their objections.

The city explains the committee is a professional one which sees all the needs of neighborhood residents and acts accordingly. “The attempt to create an atmosphere of war is wrong, as most neighborhood residents think and want differently. This is because over the past ten years, they have received nothing from the previous government and have not made any allocations to them on the matter.

“However, the municipality negotiated with the residents to find a solution to their request. Unfortunately, they chose to go the way of struggle and demonstrations, a way that does not reflect the wishes of most neighborhood residents to live in peace.

“To the heart of the matter is discussion of a temporary allocation to a Torah educational institution that we are sure will contribute greatly to the neighborhood and reflect the shared desire to maintain the status quo and existing order in neighborhoods in the city”.