This week in Jerusalem: Keep your friends close, but...

Peggy Cidor’s round-up of city affairs.

By PEGGY CIDOR
Barkat Jerusalem elections 370 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Barkat Jerusalem elections 370
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Keep your friends close, but...
Shortly before last Shabbat, an official announcement from Mayor Nir Barkat stated that the two lists representing the national-religious sector had signed an agreement to join the coalition and obtained some of the most important portfolios.
The first was United Jerusalem (two seats) under the leadership of Shmuel Shkedi and Arieh King, followed by Bayit Yehudi (one seat) under Dov Kalmanovitch. Pisgat Ze’ev’s Yael Antebi signed an agreement including her in the coalition as well.
While Bayit Yehudi openly supported Barkat’s candidacy, King vociferously attacked Barkat during the campaign: He accused the incumbent mayor of representing the Left and planning to split the city in two for the Palestinians’ benefit, and he called on the public to vote for Moshe Lion. Shkedi never joined that narrative, remaining discreet about his preference for mayor, but there is no question that United Jerusalem was not Barkat’s greatest supporter in the elections.
The mayor’s policy, then, seems to be more complex than automatically recompensing those who voted for him and punishing those who didn’t. Clearly he seeks to eliminate any eventual obstacle to his future plans for his next tenure; hence his tactic of turning first to those who are not obviously his closest supporters. At press time, most of Barkat’s efforts were focused on trying to reach some agreement with another sector that did not back him: the haredi lists.
Three heads are better than one Meanwhile, with increasing stupefaction and frustration, the three non-religious lists on the new city council are still waiting for Mayor Nir Barkat to make them an offer.
The combined eight seats of the three lists – Hitorerut B’yerushalayim (four seats), Yerushalmim (two seats) and Meretz (two seats) – are apparently not making much of an impression on Barkat, so the parties have reached the conclusion that only an alliance among them can boost their chances (if there are any) of being considered for the coalition. Last Friday, the three announced that they had signed an accord that none of them would open any negotiations with Barkat unless the two other lists were invited, too.
An official announcement from the three also stated that unless they received an invitation to the coalition under the best conditions (in terms of which portfolios Barkat would offer them), they would remain together in the opposition, leaving the newly reelected mayor at the head of a haredi-religiousright- wing coalition.
Dividing the spoils It was Shmuel Shkedi of United Jerusalem who received the finance portfolio from Mayor Nir Barkat – to the surprise of Hitorerut B’Yerushalayim, which had expected to be the recipient of the coveted portfolio.
According to sources close to Barkat, however, it was never his intention to give Hitorerut leader Ofer Berkovitch that post, which, the source explained, requires a great deal of experience and knowledge in financial matters. Even though United Jerusalem has only two seats – compared to the four that Berkovitch’s list won – Shkedi is considered to have the necessary experience, as he previously headed the Finance Committee at city council.
For the moment, Barkat’s position that the education portfolio should remain in his hands is unchanged, leading to another point of tension between him and Yerushalmim leader Rachel Azaria, who has expressed her desire for the portfolio.
As for Arieh King (No. 2 on Shkedi’s list), the mayor has given him the environment and preservation of nature portfolio – a move that has raised concern in Meretz’s ranks that he might use it to make it difficult for Arab residents to obtain construction permits.
Saving the trees If the residents do not submit any objections, the municipality plans to cut down 3,070 trees in Ramot and on the path of the planned extension of the light rail in Pisgat Ze’ev and Neveh Ya’acov. According to municipal regulations, two weeks is the maximum amount of time residents have to object to any proposed cutting down of trees. After that, there is nothing they can do to prevent it.
In this particular case, the cutting is necessary to enable the building of an access road to the new construction project in Ramot called The Country. The rest is to enable the construction of the tracks for the light rail.
In addition to the trees destined to be felled, 54 trees in the Ramot project will be uprooted and replanted nearby, and 87 trees on the path of the light rail will be replanted elsewhere. In these two locations, 95 trees were saved because they were designated as ancient and rare trees that should be preserved.
A group of residents called Faithful to the Trees of Jerusalem monitor the municipality’s permits for cutting down trees and submit objections if they believe the cutting is not absolutely necessary or if the number of trees destined to be cut down can be reduced. In other cases, they try to alter the decision from cutting down the trees to relocating them.
In the case of Ramot, it is worth noting that the construction project includes a requirement that the builders plant 1,700 trees.
For your eyes and ears The Israel Museum is launching a program that is a feast for the eyes and ears: an encounter between the Israeli Opera and the museum’s exhibitions. In the program, titled “Wandering Concert,” soloists of the Israeli Opera will perform famous arias and duets from the IO’s repertoire, inspired by some of the works of art in the museum’s various galleries. On November 24, 25, 27 and 28, with two sessions each evening, museum visitors are invited to enjoy this aesthetic combination of sight and sound. For tickets or more information: www.imj.org.il or 677-1300.
The kindest cut of all Are you blessed with beautiful and abundant hair? If so, here is an opportunity to perform a wonderful act of kindness: Donate your hair to girls and women who have lost their hair as a result of chemotherapy. Zichron Menachem, the organization that supports, helps, encourages and initiates a wide range of projects to alleviate the suffering of children and young adults struggling with cancer, is staging its annual one-day campaign to collect hair.
Some of the city’s top hairdressers will leave their salons and meet donors at Malha Mall and cut their hair. To date, the organization’s record stands at 881 hair donations in 24 hours. This year, Zichron Menachem aims to far exceed that number.
On November 11, between 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at Malha Mall, anyone who has long, healthy hair (minimum 30 cm.) can participate. All the hair collected will serve to make wigs to help alleviate – at least externally – the struggle that cancer patients face.
Those who cannot make it to the mall on Monday can bring their cut tresses to Zichron Menachem House at 10 Leo Weissman Street in Bayit Vagan. More details at www.beautifullengths.co.il.
Fighting poverty The Ken conference on innovative ways to fight poverty, which will take place in Jerusalem on November 13, will present new approaches developed by the Katef Lekatef organization. Katef Lekatef’s main goal is to win the war on poverty by trying to rescue thousands of families from a miserable cycle that leaves them with no hope for the future.
At the conference, alongside existing methods to help families break the poverty cycle, a series of innovative and alternative ways that have been tested and promoted by Katef Lekatef will be presented. Experts who work with the organization will present methods of training; mentoring families in the different stages of recovering one’s dignity; and capacity reintegrating into society through employment.
Katef Lekatef founder and director Yehuda Am-Shalem says there is an urgent need to change the approach and the options given to these families, and instead to provide them with ongoing care, support, advice and advocacy. A survey found that 72% of the families that went through the program managed to find steady employment after a year.
The conference is open to the public but participants must register: (08) 642-0622.