One cannot help but focus on the increasing number of disputes surfacing during the Three Weeks, in Jerusalem, surrounding shuls, the arrest of a mother, the opening of a parking lot and more. This one involves a school building in the city of Ashkelon, a structure that City Hall has handed over to the local Chabad community, but at the expense of some 18 families, expellees who have already been displaced from their former homes in Gush Katif.

Sturum reports that Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin has decided to give the old Ashkelon College building to the local Chabad community, realizing the Chabad students have been in extremely harsh overcrowded conditions for years. The former Ashkelon College will be the new home of the city’s Chabad Torani State School. This however comes at the expense of less than 60 children belonging to 18 former Gush Katif families, who feel one again they are being pushed aside to accommodate someone else’s agenda. Some of the families have turned to Ashkelon City Hall with harsh allegations, stating the city is ignoring their suffering and difficult plight, with some vowing to physically block the entrance to prevent the Chabad school students from entering.

Perhaps even more ironic is the fact that Chabad shaliach Rav Lieberman, who assisted the Gaza evictees upon their arrival in Ashkelon, questions the response, explaining that since they are moving to permanent homes in about five months he thought they would share in his happiness over the long-awaited decision from City Hall. He added that until that time, only some of the Chabad classes would move to the new location, all towards reaching an understanding and avoiding conflict.

City Hall questions the inflexibility of the 18 families, why they are not willing to entertain any compromise, adding those who were expelled in their lives should not be so quick to prevent others from entering their new building, one that they have waited a long time to actualize.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)