Degel Hatorah MKs met with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat amid rising tensions and accusations against Jerusalem City Hall regarding increased chilul Shabbos in the holy city. MKs Rabbis Moshe Gafne, Uri Maklev and Yaakov Asher met with the mayor, who they feel is turning a blind eye to continuing blatant violations of the city’s religious status quo. That meeting was held on Sunday, 26 Elul.

Other items on their agenda include housing in the chareidi sector in both chareidi and mixed neighborhoods.

Some believe the real reason for the meeting is the mayor’s planned firing of Itamar Bar-Ezer, who is in charge of the Chareidi Education portfolio in City Hall. The mayor plans to replace him with someone from Shas. Bar-Ezer was appointed to the post seven years but relations between him and the mayor have been on the decline of late.

One must realize that for Degel, the Chareidi Education portfolio is not just another slot in the city administration, but it is one that it has become accustomed to controlling and in the eyes of the MKs, it is likely viewed as the party’s top priority. Needless to say that if the mayor does opt to dismiss Bar-Ezer and replace him with a Shas loyalist, relations between Degel and City Hall would take a sharp turn for the worse.

It appears Shas feels it is time for Degel to step aside and permit another party to control this portfolio, which is so vital to the chareidi tzibur in the capital.

Kikar Shabbos quotes a “Degel source” adding that this rumors are not true and in fact, the meeting was called for by the mayor, not Degel. The source explains the mayor wishes to understand just why he has come under harsh attack from Degel, prompting him to request the meeting. Barkat was seeking to understand why members of his own coalition were attacking him, hence the need to speak with the party’s MKs.

Recent complaints against the mayor have also included severe overcrowding in classrooms in the chareidi sector as well as a lack of adequate classrooms.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)