Deputy Ashdod Mayor Boris Giterman, who heads the Kehillat Ashdod party, came out strongly against the city’s chareidi community. Giterman is calling on all of the secular parties in the city to unite in a war against the chareidim in the city.
Ashdod finds itself in the midst of the Shabbos battle, as a few weeks ago, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman visited on Shabbos to “give chizuk” to fellow secularists, calling to continue opening stores on Shabbos R”L. Lieberman and his six-person Yisrael Beitenu party is coming out strongly to support the rights of business owners to open on Shabbos, and Ashdod Big Center is in the epicenter of chareidi efforts, to shut stores towards maintaining the religious status quo in the city.
Giterman, who has declared his intentions to run for mayor, is working to create a secular coalition to prevent chareidi influence from affecting policy in the city. He is already campaigning, telling secular lawmakers in the city the 2018 elections will be the decisive election to prevent a “Chareidi dictatorship” from taking over their city. Giterman insists the secular residents represent the large majority of the city and it is time to unite to create a secular coalition, one that does not include any chareidi representation.
Giterman wishes to form a bloc immediately and begin working towards blocking chareidim out of the next city government.
When asked about his negative tone regarding chareidim, the deputy mayor said he does not seek their backing, nor does he wish to have to be reliant on chareidim in the coalition. He calls on all secular parties to unite to block the chareidim from entering the next coalition.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Clearly the Leiberman Giterman alliance is bereft of anything Jewish. Its doubtful whether they and their ilk have any authentic link to Matan Torah. They are 90% Russian 10% Israeli but 0% Jewish.
Having said that, the Chareidim have not tried too hard to be courteous to their fellow residents, not being examples of upstanding citizens ממלכת כוהנים וגוי קדוש.
This has been the route cause of the hatred by the seculars for so many years. We have to start teaching ouraelvea and our children that our behaviour on the street has such ramifications.
these Chilonim are worse than all the anti-semits. Er zoll gein in die Erd arain.
Mazel tov……more sinas chinam, less achdus…just what the erhliche yidden of Ashdod have been asking for.
So he wants secular coercion.