The Beit Shemesh City Hall removal of an illegal building serving as a shul in Ramat Beit Shemesh, the continued discrimination against sephardi girls in the chareidi schools, the pulling of the peyos of protester Yehoshua Kroizer during a protest in Beit Shemesh, have created somewhat of a turmoil between Beit Shemesh City Hall and that community in the city.

Mayor Dr. Aliza Bloch was interviewed by Yishai Ravina of Kikar Shabbos News, addressing numerous issues.

“In Beit Shemesh, a large city, there are 130,000 residents who have an excellent life. There is a small group that does not accept the rules of the game and some of its players, you do not have to get excited over this. A small group against 130,000 residents will not succeed in painting [the character] of the city”.

Mayor Bloch added, “I am the agent of the tzibur, and it wants a sense of safety and governability. It is fun for a mayor to make decisions that everyone will love. That someone places a building on a public area, it takes up the public’s space, no matter whether it is a shul or a kindergarten, my job is to safeguard the publics’ funds. Graffiti does not represent the life of Torah nor human dignity”.

“I inherited many challenges with new neighborhoods in which residential buildings were constructed without meeting the needs of the chareidi public. I am in a crazy race to narrow the gap. There was no freeze on buildings shuls”.

The battle against discrimination: “I address each student as a person. In Beit Shemesh, girls will not remain home. 850 girls from Beit Shemesh have been registered in seminar (high school) for next year. The sephardim are no longer second class”.

The direction of Shas in the coalition: “I very much want Shas in the coalition. I believe they will be in the coalition. I will not conduct negotiations here, in the media. I will state with clarity – Shas is among the important in the State of Israel and the City of Beit Shemesh. I believe they will enter the coalition. I will do what I can so they will be in [the coalition]. I am dedicated to the sephardi public with all my hear. Technical matters prevent them from entering the coalition”.

The anger inside Degel Hatorah: “There are always the disappointed who want additional control. Degel Hatorah voters are very satisfied. The chareidi tzibur in Beit Shemesh knows it can receive its needs in an orderly fashion, not indirectly, as they have excellent representatives in some of the parties”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)