The local planning and building committee on Wednesday approved a building permit for Rabbi Chaim Amsalem’s shul in Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood, despite Shas’ opposition in the municipality.

As we shall recall, throughout the last period the request was repeatedly brought before the local committee and removed from the agenda on various grounds after all the chareidi representatives voted against it.

Four members opposed – Pini Ezra, Yochanan Weizman, Yossi Deutsch and Yitzhak Pindrus, and four supporters – Meir Turgeman, Laura Vorton, Chanan Rubin and Chaim Epstein. Council member Yisrael Kellerman, who was present at the hearing, was asked what he thought and what he was voting and said that he had not yet decided. As a result, his voice was counted as abstaining. The chairman of the committee, Turgeman, used his double voice (vote).

However, apparently the building permit did not go so quickly because Shas council member Chaim Cohen sent a letter to Mayor Nir Barkat, in which he demanded that the matter be brought up for reconsideration at the next meeting of the council, sitting as the plenum of the planning committee.

According to the law, any request by a council member to hold a rehearing will delay the decision that has been made and require a re-examination. As is apparent, in the rehearing, there will again be a majority against Amsalem’s request.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)