The Degel Hatorah party in Beit Shemesh has signed an agreement with Mayor Aliza Bloch by which the party is entering the city’s coalition government. The agreement followed negotiations between the ashkenazi chareidi party and the newly-elected dati leumi mayor.
Degel Hatorah will hold the position of deputy mayor of the city and a number of other positions including; city improvement, finance, collection of municipal taxes, arnona, early childhood including daycare centers, rehabilitation centers, chareidi youth movements, chareidi culture, health, sanitation, transportation, membership on the religious council, membership on the mayor’s construction committee, municipal parking, municipal supervision, representatives on all municipal committees and representatives on all municipal directorates.
City Councilman Shmuel Greenberg: It was worth the long wait in order to clarify all the issues well and reach a good agreement as we have reached today. We express our confidence in the mayor and hope to embark on a new path and to cooperate fully with the municipal work.
Aliza Bloch: “Happy to announce the entry of Degel Hatorah into the coalition. The trend in the first place was as broad a coalition as possible. As far as I’m concerned, there is a saying here that everyone is welcome, and Beit Shemesh will establish itself as a city in which religious, chareidi and secular Jews live side by side. I hope that with G-d’s help we will succeed in bringing Shas into the coalition.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
Such a bunch of lowlife hypocrites. Degel blasted Agudah and Bnei Torah (Eitz) for joining the coalition when there are supposedly major issues with religion and Yahadus (http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/1634797/beit-shemesh-has-a-coalition-without-shas-or-degel-hatorah.html).
They even managed to get a letter from their Rabbonim that it’s assur to join the coalition. Then, lo and behold, after realizing that Agudah has no intention of leaving the coalition, Degel joins (throwing Shas under the bus)!! What happened to all the problems of religion?? I thought Aliza Bloch will ruin the city, no??
But it doesn’t end there. As YWN mentioned, Degel did in fact receive the much sought after position of Deputy Mayor, but you didn’t mention the price they paid for it.
Degel bargained with the Bayit Yehudi in Beit Shemesh to give up their Deputy Mayor position in exchange for, hold your breath, Chairmanship of the מועצת הדתית / Religious Council, the department responsible for overseeing all the Shuls and Mikvaos in the city!!
So to sum it up, Degel, who rallied against joining Bloch’s coalition because of serious issues with the way they expect her to handle religious matters, JOINED her coalition, and then gave up Chairmanship of the one department that can give them leverage over Bloch’s anticipated ‘draconian policies against religion’ to a Mizrachi woman in exchange for the coveted position of Deputy Mayor!!
What more is there to say than it’s now clear to all that Degel wants nothing but influence in the government, Yiddishkeit was never in the equation.
Thanks you AYeshivishGuy, it’s refreshing to hear a knowledgeable comment that exposes Degel and also this mayor who like most Dati Leumi are anti-charedi.