Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat is involved in coalition negotiations and is meeting with representatives of potential coalition partners. As talks move along Shas and Yahadut Hatorah are vying for the city’s chareidi education portfolio. It is viewed a prestigious portfolio by chareidi parties in the city.

Reliable rumors indicate a draft agreement between the mayor and Shas already exists and the mayor appears likely to hand the portfolio to Shas. This would give Tzvika Cohen a deputy mayor title along with the senior portfolio. In past years, Degel Hatorah’s Yitzchak Pindrus held the post, but it does appear the mayor is uninterested in seeing Pindrus in such a senior position in the incoming administration, as was reported.

In addition to losing the portfolio to Shas, the reality would be increasingly painful for Degel Hatorah as Cohen is close to the Bnei Torah party headed by HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita.

The agreement that exists is only a draft and until an actual agreement is signed, anything can happen.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)