Knesset's first home not protected; J'lem dirty, inundated with graffiti

By REBECCA ANNA STOIL
The municipality failed to work to protect the historic Frumin House building, the first home of the Knesset in the capital, according to the State Comptroller's Report. "The affair surrounding the sale of the Frumin House and its complications teach us about the need for clear guidelines concerning the running of national assets that have national historical value or are worthy of preservation," the state comptroller wrote of the matter. Lindenstrauss called for the establishment of Interior Ministry oversight for historical preservation, and accused the municipality of possible conflicts of interest in the handling of the sale of the historic downtown building. The dirty capital The Jerusalem municipality does not work to identify waste disposal violations, but waits for citizens to report them, Lindenstrauss wrote. Even when citizens perform their civic duty, he continued, the municipality failed to respond in a timely manner, or sometimes did not respond at all. Trash pickup is not carried out according to proper organizational methods, and waste bins are frequently overflowing. Street poetry In addition to the overflowing trash, the comptroller complained, the city is also inundated with offensive graffiti. Not only is the city slow in removing the slogans, but even when crews are dispatched to "remove" them, they simply cover the area with paint splotches to blot them out, creating a secondary eyesore.