Members of the Peleg Yerushalmi are preparing to evacuate the Darchei Shmuel Shul in Kiryat Herzog, Bnei Brak, as the city has ordered removing it since it is an illegal structure. A hachnasas Sefer Torah was recently held in the shul and efforts to prevent it from being destroyed have been unsuccessful as City Hall reports the building is illegal.

According to a Kikar Shabbos News report, claims by members of the Peleg that they are being discriminated against are unfounded, quoting unnamed city officials who are speaking out for a first time, who point out that during the recent election campaign for the municipal elections, no less than eight illegal shuls were established in the Torah City, all using public land intended for parks and the benefit of the tzibur, and Darchei Shmuel is among the eight.

Newly-elected mayor Avraham Rubinstein in quoted telling Kikar Shabbos, “They simply stole public land, plain and simple, with the backing of rabbonim – there are eight shuls that are built on stolen green areas and they all will be removed”.

Kikar also quotes city officials saying, “Until now, four of the shuls have been removed, including Klall Chassidi, one Sephardi, one Litvish affiliated with Degel Hatorah, and now, we are preparing to remove the other four. Clearly, we are removing all of the illegal shuls and not removing shuls based on affiliation. We are removing all of them since they are illegal”.

The report adds that persons close to the mayor explain he has made it clear, that his administration will not tolerate an atmosphere of ‘hefker’ with people believing they can do as they please for as long as it involves a shul. He will not tolerate persons taking the law into their own hands.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)