Yesh Atid party leader MK Yair Lapid visited Arad on Thursday morning 23 Elul to get a firsthand look at mounting tensions between secular residents and the growing Gerrer Chassidic community. Lapid met with the Mayor Nissim Ben-Chamu, who is affiliated with Yesh Atid. He met with residents as well. With Rosh Hashanah only days away, police are on higher alert.

Meanwhile, the city’s community center held a conference last night by Deputy Mayor Ofer Artzi, during which he met with secular residents and discussed the recent events in the city and examined ways to deal with the chareidi takeover in the city.

The police in Arad were on alert ahead of Lapid’s visit, fearing riots were deployed with reinforced forces throughout the city.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)