One must commend Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat for earlier this week it appeared Yahadut Hatorah was not going to join his coalition. After the mayor signed with Shas and gave the Sephardi party Degel Hatorah’s education portfolio, it appeared that at the very least, the Degel faction of Yahadut Hatorah was headed for opposition.

However, the mayor on Tuesday 16 Kislev 5774 signed with Yahadut Hatorah, bringing the Ashkenazi chareidim into his coalition too.

The party will receive two paid deputy mayor positions which are likely to go to Yossi Deutsch of Agudas Yisrael and Yisrael Kellerman of Degel Hatorah.

To compensate for the lost education portfolio the party received a handsome package which includes Chareidi Housing, Deputy Planning & Building, Community Beautification, Sanitation, Welfare, responsibility for community centers and a deputy post in charge of chareidi neighborhood government (minhal), responsibility for public buildings under the Economic Development Office, Religious Buildings, Engineering, Infrastructure & Parking Authority, Job Development for the Chareidi Sector, Chareidi Public Transportation, and City Inspectors.

In addition Yahadut Hatorah received the chairman slot and deputy chairman slot in a number of committees.

The new coalition includes the following parties totaling 29 city council members;

בני תורה,

הבית היהודי,

התעוררות,

יהדות התורה,

ירושלים מאוחדת,

ירושלים תצליח,

ירושלמים,

פ”ז,

ש”ס

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)