VIDEO: Deutsch Address Unjustifiable Red Tape In Jerusalem City Hall

In the accompanying video, Jerusalem mayoral candidate Yossi Deutsch explains that if elected, he will bring an end to the unacceptable bureaucracy accompanying requests for building permits and extensions, citing citizens despair after years pass without receiving the permit, being sent from clerk to clerk. Deutsch insists such a process should not take more than eight months.

He adds that the current system leads to persons offering bribes, aware that there is no other way to move things along. He insists there must be transparency throughout the entire process, permitting the tzibur to know exactly where the process is holding.

After serving for some 12 years in various positions in Jerusalem City Hall, including Deputy Mayor, Deutsch, the only chareidi candidate, insists he is more than qualified to serve all the people, not just the chareidim, as his actions over those testify.

Online Game & Daily Lottery Seeks To Bring Out Jerusalem Voters In Municipal Elections In Israel

Hundreds of Jerusalemites registered online over the weekend for a new election game, GetVote, which encourages voters to exercise their right and responsibility to vote on Election Day.

Each day, a lottery is held awarding NIS 1,000 among participants. There will also be lotteries for three vacations abroad which will include the 100 participants who brought the most registered voters to the vote on Election Day.

The game can only be accessed from a smartphone and not a stationary computer. One does not download an app, but rather one participates online.

The game is the development of social organizations in Jerusalem without political affiliation. According to the rules of the game, in order to accumulate points, players invite neighbors, friends and family to be active in the game – and one receives receive points for their joining.

On Election Day, the score is doubled and tripled, depending on the number of members who actually voted. Voting will be verified using QR codes placed outside polling stations.

HaRav Silman Explains The Demands That Prevented Achdus

On motzei Shabbos, rabbonim from various kehillos visited the home of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, lead by Gedolei Yisrael, to focus on the candidacy of Yitzchak Pindrus as the Degel Hatorah candidate in the Elad mayoral race.

At the start of the meeting, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein Shlita, HaGaon HaRav Baruch Dov Povarsky Shlita, and HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch Shlita arrived.

According to an exclusive Kikar Shabbos News report, HaGaon HaRav Yehuda Silman Shlita, who is also a member of the Degel Hatorah Moetzas Gedolei Torah as are the others, explained the realities surrounding the election. One is reminded that Rav Silman during recent months, represented the Torah Council as the person negotiating with the parties involved, and is therefore most qualified to provide a assessment of the situation regarding Elad.

Rav Silman is quoted saying, “I’m going to tell you two things, first we did not come here for an election rally, we came here for an invitation to a bar mitzvah. What do I mean? It is very simple. It’s time for our public in Elad to convey the message that as long as we were little children we needed a guardian. A bar mitzvah bochur no longer requires a guardian.

“What ploni almoni is saying should have us most concerned, and this is very good…we want to be concerned with ourselves, including the litvish and Sephardi communities, Baruch Hashem, a very large holy tzibur. We do not require a guardian, we wish to take care of ourselves. Those who say that others will take care of us… this does not look good”.

“Now I wish to address what is going on here. At the behest of Gedolei Yisrael, we did our utmost to achieve peace. We were turned to making peace and now, we will wish to have shalom. Towards achieving this, there was an agreement that was ignored and a second time, and now, for a third time.

“There were two problems. The first, they presented us with conditions that we simply could not accept – not because we were unwilling to make concessions, but because it was not up to us. It surrounded bringing signatures of others whom we had no control over, and we could not enter such an agreement signed by ploni almoni, who was not relevant to us.”

Rav Silman continued explaining, that according to the first and second agreements, the mayoral post should have gone to Degel. The third agreement explains Degel would receive the spot in another 2.5 years, and this would be difficult to explain to the tzibur, as it means 2.5 years of 15 years as in the past five years, the mayor was not from Degel, and now, they are demanding a rotation situation to become united, for achdus. The rav adds this was presented a mere 30 minutes before the lists were submitted, not a real time permitting true negotiating.

Rav Silman told the rabbonim that even if Degel would receive the first half of the rotation, perhaps there would be something to talk about, but the deal presented was that Yisrael Porush receives the first half, and only then, after years of waiting, would Degel Hatorah be given 2.5 years as mayor.

The rav then went back to his analogy of requiring a guardian, and that they do not need Porush to continue serving as their guardian as he would like the tzibur to accept. At present, they are calling on the tzibur to vote for the Degel candidate, former Deputy Jerusalem Mayor, Yitzchak Pindrus.

Rabbi Silman stressed they did everything possible towards achdus and now, they remain vehemently opposed to violence to achieve their goal.

HaGaon Rav Eliyahu Mann spoke in the name of Rav Kanievsky, citing “This asifa is truly the words of the Chazon Ish, speaking of how they convened in the name of Torah. He made it crystal clear that despite what some are hearing on the streets, what is taking place concerning Degel Hatorah vis-à-vis the Elad elections is exactly in line with instructions from Rav Kanievsky, without any deviation. Pindrus was summoned a month ago and it was explained to him, how this time around, an agreement was signed and Degel Hatorah’s candidate would serve in place of Porush and in line with that agreement, Porush may not run again.

Hence, Rav Kanievsky understood a candidate who is acceptable to all must be found, and this is why they selected Pindrus, adding Maran HaGaon HaRav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv ZT”L ZY”A and Maran HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman ZT”L ZY”A both trusted him completely and they have seen he has Siyata Dishmaya and has accomplished a great deal.

Rav Mann added Rav Kanievsky ruled everyone must vote, not that it is a mitzva to do so but one is compelled to do so.

Rav Povarsky and Rav Edelstein expressed their support for Pindrus as well, giving him a bracha to succeed in the election. Rav Povarsky added, “You are everyone’s shaliach”.

Degel Hatorah’s Ruchberger Meets With So-Called Working Chareidim

Degel Hatorah officials in Yerushalayim are working hard to meet with voters and to hold events towards persuading potential voters to cast a ballot for the party in the upcoming municipal elections.

A gathering was held in the Yosef Shalom Shul in the Ramot neighborhood of the city, a shul attended by many of the so-called working chareidim, Degel Councilman Eliezer Ruchberger represented the party. Other councilmen were there too, including Aryeh King from the Meuchadim party and mayoral candidate Ofer Berkowitz from the Hisorarus party.

Ruchberger is well-aware many of the members of this community are former bochrim who attended litvish yeshivos, and he worked to bring them back to support Degel on Election Day.

Ruchberger, who heads the Degel Yerushalayim branch, spoke of the party’s achievements in the outgoing term, and how they assisted anyone and everyone, regardless if one is Ashkenazi or Sephardi, litvish of chassidish, avreichim and working chareidim alike.

Ruchberger told the working chareidim that unlike some of the other parties, which promise a great deal in the coming years, Degel has already been helping their community.

Beit Shemesh Mayoral Candidates Duke it Out

Speaking to Kalman Lieberman of Reshet Bet Radio pertaining to the municipal elections in Beit Shemesh, dati leumi mayoral candidate Dr. Aliza Bloch stated it is amazing when one realizes the current mayor is chareidi, yet there are chareidi neighborhoods without mikvaos. She adds that there is no Chief Rabbi of the city and a state auditor oversees the operating of the local religious council due to problems there, as well as problems pertaining to kvura and the city’s kashrus. She added there are chareidi yeshivos in caravans instead of buildings – all during the tenure of the chareidi mayor, Rabbi Moshe Abutbul.

Abutbul responded to Lieberman, explaining the new Route 38 should be sufficient for voters to back his bid for reelection, showing just what he is capable of getting accomplished.

Bloch fired back explaining the status of the city’s infrastructure is worrisome at best. She spoke of broken steps, filth, litter, abandonment and a total lack of city sanitation and parking in the veteran neighborhoods as well as the new ones. She insists there is no plan for an industrial complex as is stated in the State Comptroller’s report, that the city is collapsing.

She insists that there is not a single aspect of the administration that is functioning as it should, including religious and municipal services. In addition, she feels “there is nothing for the youth in Beit Shemesh, which lacks entertainment and cultural facilities. There is no movie theater, no pool and no budget for activities for the young, and this is why terrible things occur in our city”.

HaGaon HaRav Ba’adani Does an About Face Regarding Municipal Elections in Elad

HaGaon HaRav Shimon Ba’adani Shlita, a member of the Shas Moetzas Chachmei Torah, has joined the decision of the head of the Torah Council, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen Shlita.

Rabbi Ba’adani joins the decision of the council’s president, Rav Cohen, backing Yitzchak Pindrus in the Elad elections, the candidate of Degel Hatorah who is being backed by Shas too.

Rav Ba’adani continued with his words of praise for Yisrael Porush, the incumbent mayor seeking reelection, but Shas and Degel want him replaced. Aware of this, Rav Ba’adani stated he would not become involved in that controversial race, but now, this has changed.

About a month ago, Rav Ba’adani released a letter that he was not becoming involved in the Elad municipal elections. However, since Rav Cohen has come out openly in support of Pindrus, a former Jerusalem Deputy Mayor, Rav Ba’adani has come out echoing the support of Shas and its Torah Council.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)