In a midnight phone interview with Kol HaTzibur, former Jerusalem deputy mayor and noted chareidi askan R’ Yehoshua Pollack stated he is not involved in any wrongdoing regarding the Holyland project, questioning why “some” are making the assumption that his name will soon be added to the list of suspects in the case.

Pollack explains he entered Jerusalem City Hall in 2003, while the project was approved in 2000. He stated that “people just speak” but in reality, following the project’s approval, “even a simple stone could not be added to the plan”.

What about the allegations regarding your chavrusa, a prominent Jerusalem rosh yeshiva?

POLLACK: That is even worse. That very same rosh yeshiva does not even know what Holyland is. People speak because I learn with him a number of hours daily. I received a telephone call from someone in the United States who said ‘I hear Rav Shinkar was arrested. I took a taxi to the rav’s home and saw he was home, not arrested, then telephoning the US to permit him to speak directly with the rosh yeshiva. The rav then asked me what Holyland is. This is the problem today. Everyone makes his own news on the internet.

When asked about Uri Lupoliansky, Pollack stated everyone seems to want to make a big deal over the project, perhaps because it is called “a monster and it towers over the skyline”. Regarding Lupoliansky, he stated “his family can relax because their father is a straight honest individual and a good father. He runs a chessed organization that saves lives daily. It is that simply. The family of [one of the reportedly key suspects in the case former deputy mayor R’ Eliezer] Simchayoff can also relax”.

Pollack stated he did not hire an attorney for there is nothing to question him about. He believes the entire matter will soon drop from the national media spotlight.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)