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Jul 17, 2014

Bet Shemesh opposition meets with Minister Gideon Saar

The Opposition city councilmen of Bet Shemesh have met with Minister of Interior Gideon Saar regarding their demand to split the city.

Here is a summary of the meeting (sources for this summary are Shopping Mekomi and city councilman Moshe Shitrit):

On Tuesday morning, the group of Opposition city councilmen met with the Minister, Gideon Saar, to discuss the demand to split the city. In addition, the councilmen were also going to use the meeting as an opportunity to ask Saar to not sign on the city councils decision to raise the rate of arnona for part of the city, as Finance Minister Yair Lapid has already said he would not sign.

City Councilman Richard Peres said about the meeting that he is more optimistic now. Peres said that Saar listened to their issues and claims. They presented before him how the Iryah is acting improperly and illegally. The Regional Director was also present at the meeting. Saar said that the various issues need to be dealt with. Specifically the issue of the mayor having divided up the various committees with representatives in an illegal manner (i.e. not proportional to the number of council seats each party has) Saar will be giving instructions to the mayor to fix the situation and redistribute the committees properly.

Regarding the splitting of the city, Saar had said that he will look into the matter and give it consideration, and evaluate it by every measure necessary and acceptable.

City Councilman Moti Cohn said that they raised all the issues including the way the mayor is functioning, the way he completely ignores about half of the city residents, the way he acts in a vengeful way against those city employees who did not vote for him...

Cohen said that the Minister requested that the request to split the city be submitted in an orderly fashion and the matter will be analyzed and evaluated, and a decision will be made.

City Councilman Moshe Shitrit said that Shalom Edri, who had arranged the meeting, wanted the Minister to see that it was not just the Likud councilmen demanding the split. They made their positions clear and explained that they do not see any possibility of the city continuing to exist in its current format.

Shitrit said that from feedback they received from Saar's people they have been told that they had not been aware of the actual details of the situation and how bad it is. Shitrit tempers it by saying this was just the first meeting of what will surely be many. Initial successes include a redivision of committee representation according to proper protocol. Saar had said he would not allow inequitable division on the committees and by the end of the month the mayor will be instructed to change that.

Shitrit also announced that this coming Sunday, at 7pm, MK Miri Regev will be coming to Bet Shemesh (at the Likud headquarters) in advance of the Knesset Interior Committee meeting to be held next week about the splitting of Bet Shemesh.

MK Dov Lipman was not present at the meeting but was updated with all the details of what happened at the meeting. Lipman said that the Minister became informed of what is going on in Bet Shemesh, and the fact that he was willing to listen to the complaints of the opposition members and take it under consideration is encouraging.

The Mayor, Moshe Abutbol, said about the meeting that it is a shame they continue to act obsessively  and irresponsibly - both towards the city residents and regarding the issue proper financial administration and balancing of the City funds. Mayor Abutbol expressed his belief that the professionals and relevant appointees will work and function professionally.


update: the session in the Knesset Committee has now been canceled (postponed actually, though Kikar says canceled). When the Haredi MKs from UTJ saw the session on the schedule for the coming week, they got upset and sent letters to Miri Regev complaining about it, and she decided to cancel the session
source: Kikar



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