[RBS] Plot 425 clarification

[shalom lerner]

Dear Friends,

As many of you might have heard by now, the 425 plot was awarded for Bnos Yerushalayim - a girls school which includes many extremist families. I and many of our community put a lot of effort into trying to block this distribution of the land and want to simply share how and why this took place.

425 is located not far from the dati leumi community and it makes no sense for that land to go to Bnos Yerushalayim. Many moderate chareidim agreed as well, since the land was more suited to them.

The issue was brought to the city council for a vote last week.   Well before the issue came to a vote, I spent extensive time with the Mayor demanding that “Bnos Yerushalayim” be moved to plot 411 which is more suited to their community. The Mayor claimed that he tried for many months to arrange for that change but, in the end, he was unsuccessful.

It is true that we could have decided to create obstacles which would lead to problems and difficulties for them and their official move into 425. However, we realized that, at the end of the day, even after the long delays, they would receive the land. So, we decided to concentrate on the needs of the dati leumi community and securing our needs. We, therefore, reached an agreement with the Mayor whereby he met with some of their leaders together with me, and told them that he reached an agreement with me that I will abstain with the understanding that the land appropriation for our community will go through without any protest.  In addition the Mayor made it clear  that:

1)The Mayor will not stand for any more violence from their community

2)Just like he is taking care of their needs, he is going to take care of our needs including Orot Banot and other dati leumi projects in the neighborhood and the city.

This ensures that if/when they decide to protest the Orot Banot and the plot  next to it, the Mayor is committed to be fully on our side.  
In the end, the misappropriation of plot 425 is basically an internal Charedi problem which we did our best that it should not be detrimental to  our community.

Please feel free to call me at 050-417-6716 or e-mail me at lerner8 at bezeqint.net if you have any questions.

Wishing everyone a chag kasher veSameiach, 

Shalom Lerner


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