The Shas party has signed on the dotted line with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, securing the city’s chareidi education portfolio.

The deal was officially signed on Monday afternoon 15 Kislev 5774. Shas’ Tzvika Cohen will be responsible for Yerushalayim’s chareidi education, a portfolio that in the previous administration was held by Degel Hatorah. Interestingly, while Yahadut Hatorah’s Yisrael Porush grabbed Elad City Hall away from Shas, Cohen is a former Shas mayor of Elad and he will now be holding Degel’s chareidi education portfolio. Cohen will also be a paid deputy mayor of Yerushalayim.

There were many threats in the air directed at the mayor from Yahadut Hatorah during the coalition negotiations, perhaps because Yahadut Hatorah realized the mayor was about to shift his loyalties elsewhere. While Yahadut Hatorah held the chareidi education portfolio in Yerushalayim for about 20 years, the responsibility now rests in the hands of the Sephardi chareidi party.

That is not all for Shas as the party will also be in charge of chareidi sports in the city along with the Religious Cultural Activities, Advancing Chareidi Youth, Arnona Property Tax portfolios and it will maintain a presence on other city council committees. The arnona property tax portfolio includes control of the exceptions committee, the decision as to who receives a discount in arnona payments.

Degel has also lost control of other portfolios, given to other coalition parties. At present, barring unforeseeable events, Degel is heading for opposition in Jerusalem City Hall.

The mayor sat with representatives of Yahadut Hatorah on Sunday, 14 Kislev, including MKs Yaakov Asher, Uri Maklev and Meir Porush, but closed the big deal on Monday with Shas.

To the surprise of many, Mayor Barkat seems to have mended fences with Shas leader in Yerushalayim, Eli Simchayof, who received a deputy mayor slot in the new administration.

Actually, Degel Hatorah was not only thrown to the wolves by the mayor, but by Shas, for the latter indicated it understands that the chareidi education is Degel’s. The mayor stated following elections that he and he alone will decide who gets the different portfolios, sending a strong message to the city’s Yahadut Hatorah councilmen. It was clear from the beginning of negotiations that Barkat was gunning for Degel.

Adding insult to injury for Degel Hatorah is the fact that Rav Chaim Epstein of the Bnei Torah party also signed with the mayor, and he will be one of the city’s paid deputy mayors.

It appears the mayor’s wrath is only directed at the litvish faction of Yahadut Hatorah, namely Degel, as he is signaling he wants to bring in Agudas Yisrael Councilmen Yossi Deutsch and Shlomo Rosenstein, who would also be deputy mayors with a salary. This will depend on Barkat’s ability to split the Ashkenazi chareidi party, which most believe will not be too difficult when it comes to signing on the agreement that includes the deputy slots.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)