Betar Illit Mayor Rav Meir Rubinstein has sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu calling upon him not to abandon the chareidi city. The mayor refers to the recent cabinet decision removing Betar Illit from the national government’s priority map.

Rubinstein explains in his letter that he and the nation recently learned of the cabinet’s decision to redefine the national priority map, which now excludes Betar. He adds that the recent Housing Ministry announcement to build over 1,000 housing units yet only 36 housing units are designated for Betar.

The mayor refers to the building freeze of the previous administration, calling the policy decision “absurd”, and adds there is potential to build thousands of housing units in the city but this is not being done due to political considerations. He points out that Betar represents a ready and inexpensive housing solution towards addressing the national housing shortage.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)