Grapevine: Levy vs Lehava

Over the past year and a half, Jerusalem received more than $60 million for projects throughout the capital.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu at Mahaneh Yehuda Market. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu at Mahaneh Yehuda Market.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
NEXT TO Nir Barkat, the most highly publicized Jerusalemite today is probably supermarket king Rami Levy. On the one hand, this week he was named as one of the torch lighters who will usher in Israel’s 67th Independence Day; and on the other, he is having a running battle with the Lehava organization, which is casting unpleasant allegations against his Arab employees. Levy prides himself on creating a harmonious environment among Arabs and Jews – customers as well as employees – in the various branches of his chain of supermarkets, but Lehava has demanded a list of the Arab employees to determine if any of them has a criminal background, namely an involvement with terrorist activities.
Lehava’s allegations against Levy and members of his staff became so intrusive that Levy, who is adamant that he would never employ anyone with terrorist connections, filed a complaint with the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court.
These days Levy is receiving congratulations on two counts – one for being selected as a torch lighter and the other for his daughter’s marriage.
MEANWHILE, MAYOR Nir Barkat has returned from a fundraising trip to South Africa in time to run in today’s Jerusalem Marathon. Also running will be deputy mayor Meir Turgeman, who plans to run the 10-kilometer race.
Back to the subject of fund-raising, over the past year and a half, the city received more than $60 million for projects throughout the capital, with 93-year-old business magnate, social entrepreneur and philanthropist Mort Mandel of Cleveland, Ohio, who has given tens of millions of dollars to Israel over the years, donating the largest sum of $25m. to the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Mandel is also a generous supporter of the Israel Museum, the Hebrew University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, as well as many other worthy causes.
IT HAS become a tradition for The Jerusalem Post to join forces with the Great Synagogue and AACI to hold pre-election debates in relation to municipal and Knesset elections. The Post has been conducting such debates around the country in cooperation with AACI, Beit Knesset Ohel Ari and the Tel Aviv International Salon.
The event at the Great Synagogue on Saturday evening will be the last before the elections on March 17.
Participants, most of whom live in Jerusalem or within the 02 telephone zone, will include Bennie Begin representing Likud; Erel Margalit representing the Zionist Union; Michael Oren representing Kulanu; Ayelet Shaked representing Bayit Yehudi; Dov Lipman representing Yesh Atid; Ashley Perry representing Yisrael Beytenu; and Uri Zaki representing Meretz. The moderator will be Post Editor-in-Chief Steve Linde. There will be an admission charge of NIS 20.
DESPITE THE heavy security precautions, it was obvious from the expression on his face that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who this week took a campaign tour through Mahaneh Yehuda, was actually enjoying himself in a more-or-less normal environment. The hustle and bustle of the market reminded him of childhood forays through the many alleyways, and despite the negative publicity that he has received of late, the warm welcome he received from the merchants and shoppers in the crowd made him smile with pleasure.
Although the media were not invited, several press photographers got wind of the tour and managed to photograph Netanyahu several times. Notwithstanding all the pressures, he looked very happy.