Jerusalem Councilman Shmuel Yitzchaki expressed outrage over the decision of his fellow chareidi Jerusalem councilmen. In a Kol Chai Radio interview, Yitzchaki, who is not in the coalition, explained that in an totally unacceptable move, Mayor Nir Barkat announced that he seeks the council’s approval for an act that has already been approved, taking NIS 2 million from the city’s coffer to add insurance to Karta parking lot in the slight event the current insurance does not cover possible damage related to shabbos protests.

Yitzchaki angrily explained that at the time of the vote “there were 6 secular councilmen and 10 of us” and the issue could have easily been defeated. Immediately before the vote, the Shas and Yahadut HaTorah councilmen got up and left the room, in what Yitzchaki called an “arranged deal” with the mayor, who requested they absent themselves from the vote, aware they could not support such a move. Yitzchaki and Kol Chai called on any other frum councilman to respond, to refute the allegations, but at the time of this report, all are remaining silent, opting to refrain from responding.

Yitzchaki referred to his chareidi colleagues as “political novices”, stating they believe “they understand something about politics but in actuality, they remain clueless”.

Asked if the councilmen’s actions may be tied to the mayor’s willingness to flip the tab for chareidi education this year, he scoffed; explain this is part of the naiveté of his colleagues. Yitzchaki explained that during the best years, when then mayor Teddy Kollek ran the city as no one else has, he was unable to fully cover the expenses of chareidi education – stating with absolute certainty that today, with all the economic problems and budgetary cuts it is clear that Barkat will not be able to meet his commitment. Yitzchaki added that the funds in any event were already allocated by the Finance Committee, as was arranged by the committee chair, MK Moshe Gafne, calling this alleged deal a “farce” and using the radio time to reiterate his chareidi colleagues are not as in tune to the real goings on as they would like constituents to believe.

Yitzchaki decried the passive agreement by chareidi councilmen, permitting the passing of the resolution, which by the way was the subject of harsh criticism by Jerusalem City Hall legal experts, since the insurance was already signed and paid ahead of the vote.

Yitzchaki ended the interview by raising the matter of the ongoing discrimination against sephardi girls in the Beis Yaakov system, explaining he has the names of 14 girls who were planned to enter first grade, based on promises, and are now sitting home wondering what is in store for their future. He added one cannot compare this to the so-called discrimination of girls in Maalot Daphna, who are “accepted” but parents are arguing over the system’s desire to assign them to the Beit Yisrael school while they prefer the nearby Sanhedria school, which is viewed as preferable for an array of reasons.

Yitzchaki is calling for an immediate end to the discrimination which he insists taints the entire system and results in irreparable emotional scaring for many girls.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)