A shul funded by government agencies, a project that has the received the required permits, is at the center of a legal dispute in the community of Elad.

The mispallalim of the Shiras Naftoli Shul received the required permits and when they were asked to put up an 80,000 NIS bond to ensure the shul is built within two years, they did not hesitate. The funds were raised and construction began.

According to a Ladaat.info report, a number of weeks ago they received a ‘stop work’ order citing the construction is illegal. The mispallalim are quoted as explaining they presented the permits but the powers that be were uninterested in seeing papers.

The shul’s gabbai is quoted as telling Ladaat that the reason is nothing more than someone flexing his political muscle and the mayor is stuck between a rock and a hard place as he truly wishes to assist moving the shul project ahead on the one hand, but a senior official has instructed him to sit back and remain silent as he makes order.

The mispallalim explain the stop work order is tied to internal city politics and opponents are using the shul project to put opponents in their place.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)