The Elad Engineering Department is moving ahead with orders to raze illegal structures, including a number of shuls and yeshivos. YWN-ISRAEL recently reported that the Levyat Chen Shul was among the mosdos slated for destruction. Another shul on the list is “Raban Gamliel”. Mispallalim accuse City Hall of targeting Sephardi mosdos.

Talmidim of the Halichos Shlomo Yeshiva on Sunday morning 25 Shevat saw the destruction first hand as they headed with a Gemaras and shtenders in hand to City Hall, where they plan to continue their limudim and signal their act of protest.

Kikar Shabbos quotes Halichos Shlomo Director Shlomo Cohen saying the destruction is being done in coordination with the previous administration and with the full knowledge and approval of Mayor Yisrael Porush.

Cohen told Kikar the yeshiva is in a legal building and he has the permits from the administration of Tzvika Cohen. He admits that due to the increase in the number of talmidim, a beis medrash was built nearby but he had the approval of the mayor when this was done as recently as last month. Cohen accuses Porush of discrimination against Sephardim. He points out there are violation with the Ashkenazi Ohel Tamir Shul yet no one seems bothered however regarding the Sephardi mosdos, demolition orders are being carried out. Cohen adds that the loss of the building he added on is 150,000 NIS, adding many city residents build guest houses to rent for profit and nothing is done but here the mayor insists on removing the building.

Rabbi Moshe Sharon, mora d’asra of Levyat Chen explained there were negotiations and there was an agreement to wait until Sunday and permit things to take place in an orderly fashion. However, the city officials arrived on motzei Shabbos with a tractor and they razed the structure in violation of the agreement.

Rav Sharon is now accusing Porush of making empty promises to get elected. “When he wanted votes he came here and then we were totally legal. He knew how to find us 15 times, using every possible opportunity to muster up votes.”

Rabbi Gadiel Yosef, mora d’asra of Raban Gamliel says “We discussed this during the previous administration, with the latter authorizing the building. The mayor took part in these meetings along with his aide Yishai Klein and the city engineer, quoting them saying ‘If only all violations [in the city] would be like yours. You view this shul as the Beis HaMikdash’.

Deputy Mayor and Shas leader in Elad Tzuriel Krisfel defends Porush, telling Kikar Shabbos the mayor is working to restore order as the illegal construction in the city has reached “catastrophic proportions”. Krisfel questions how so many ignored the requests from the previous administration to come to City Hall in an effort to correct and address building violations. Krisfel says it must be understood the games are over and future illegal structures will share the same fate. There will be zero tolerance to illegal construction and this includes everyone without exception.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)