Following the opposition of Tevaria Mayor Ron Kobi to Aryeh Deri’s re-appointment of the city council members of Tevaria, the Center for Local Government affairs issued their decision in favor of Deri. The Center determined once and for all that the city councilors should be re-appointed.

Kobi issued an appeal against Deri’s decision and it was removed by the High Court of Justice due to Deri’s decision to allow an extension for the city council to pass their annual budget until after the upcoming national elections. Following that decision, Kobi submitted a second appeal asking for a interim directive disallowing the return of the city councilors, most of whom are against Kobi.

Kobi claimed that the term of the city councilors ended when they failed to pass a budget and that filing an extension post facto does not renew a new term for the councilors.

Kobi demanded that civil servants be appointed to run the city for the next five months until a new national government can be elected, one in which he assumes Deri will not be the interior minister.

Having lost the support of the Center for Local Government one high-ranking official in the city of Tevaria said that “Kobi’s entire maneuvering was based on obtaining the support of the Center, now that they have denied him he stands no chance of maintaining control of the council once it reconvenes.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)