The fight to stop city-sponsored airing of movies in the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood of Jerusalem continues. Chareidi councilmen were led to believe the movies shown in the Kiryat Yovel community council on Friday nights for non-religious residents would stop, and they did for a period of time. It has now been learned the community council has decided to renew the program. The vote passed because City Hall representatives and Mayor Barkat abstained.

Mr. Yechiel Levy, who heads the community council confirms the vote passed and the Friday night movies will resume. Efforts to reach an understanding with chareidim failed, partly because elections are scheduled in the city’s minhalot community councils. The mayor reached an agreement, that the movies would stop for two months to permit talks in the hope of reaching agreement but this did not pan out.

As a result, movies are set for this coming Shabbos. This has led to anger among the chareidi city councilmen, having learned the city representatives could have prevented it but they abstained in the vote. They are now blaming the mayor for giving a green light to renewed public chilul Shabbos, which is sponsored by the city’s arm, the local community council.

City officials explain elections will be held soon and this will determine the character of the members of the local councils, which will then set policy in each community.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)