Pindrus against Barkat: "excludes the ultra-Orthodox from Jerusalem" Exposure

Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yitzhak Pindrus attacked today (Wednesday), the Mayor, Nir Barkat.

Yesterday the Jerusalem Municipality released orders by Mayor Nir Barkat that he is opposed to marketing apartments under the "price occupant" track and auctions for rental apartments in the Ramot neighborhood in the city, advertised by the Ministry of Housing and the Israel Lands Administration.

The auctions authorities referred to land marketing for the construction of 606 housing units in the "Country" neighborhood of Ramot.

In total there are plans to build 734 housing units in the neighborhood, but the municipality demanded to cancel marketing of 128 rental housing units and 166 long-term housing units under the "occupant price" track because eligibility pathways are discriminatory.

"The municipality's message sends off a very heavy odor of an attempt to exclude the orthodox", says Yitzchak Pindrus, Deputy Mayor on behalf of the Yahadut Hatorah party. "The orthodox community has been suffering a severe housing shortage for years; young couples want to live in Jerusalem and are forced to live in inhuman conditions in basements and driveways, since there is no other reasonable solution.
"It is quite possible that many families from the haredi public will now want to use their elementary right for shelter and buy an apartment in the Ramot neighborhood", Pindrus added. "However, the demand to cancel the marketing apartments for long term rent and 'occupant price' apartment's track, is a requirement of discrimination against eligible residents for discounted housing and openly reads to prefer an elite and established population."

Pindrus says that this message was sent out without authority, because such decisions should be made by all members of the City Council, and this issue was not discussed at any board meetings held from time to time. "Yahadut Hatorah is the largest faction in the city council, and therefore surely has the right to be part of the discussion on such a fundamental issue," he said.

According to Pindrus, the decision has been designed to narrow the orthodox community's presence within the city, "I hope the municipality renounces their tendentious step whose target is clear and will allow all residents the opportunity to get a proper roof over their heads."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!