The Supreme Court heard the petition of ousted Tiberias Mayor Ron Kobi, who argued that Minister Elkin's decision to remove him as mayor was tainted by foreign motives (Photo: Roni Knafo, Editing by Amit Simha)
The coalition will advance tomorrow (Wednesday) in a preliminary reading the bill proposed by MK Amit Halevy of the Likud, which would allow the head of a committee called (a committee to fulfill the functions of the mayor and the council) to run in elections in the locality where he served as the state's representative in the first term after his appointment. The proposal has drawn criticism from within the Likud, claiming that it is personal and intended to help Boaz Yosef, who heads the committee called in Tiberias and is expected to run in the upcoming elections, if the proposal is approved.
Repeal of the current prohibition in the law will allow a person who has been parachuted into the position of head of the authority to run without a cold and to have an unfair advantage over the other contenders. As noted, the bill is intended to help mainly Boaz Yosef, a member of the Interior Ministry, who is close to Aryeh Deri, who heads a committee called in the city of Tiberias, who will be able to run in the upcoming elections in October after the bill is approved.
Political sources claim that Halevy is promoting the proposal "under pressure from members of the Likud Center and enthusiastically encouraged by an activist close to Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is an enthusiastic supporter of Yosef's candidacy." Halevi denied the allegations and told Walla! Because he initiated the proposal "on behalf of the right and freedom of the residents of Tiberias to choose what is good in their eyes."
He initiated the proposal "on behalf of the right and freedom of the residents of Tiberias to choose what is good in their eyes." MK Halevi (Photo: official website, Adina Wellman, Knesset Spokesperson's Office)
The bill also drew criticism from within the Likud. MK Tali Gottlieb wrote today on the party's WhatsApp group that she would vote against the proposal and wrote that it was a "foul-smelling" proposal, adding: "I intend to oppose this proposal, and I will clarify that personal legislation in this case may lead to a claim of receipt of a benefit that may lead, God forbid, to an examination. It's as simple as that."
Halevy responded to her remarks, writing in the same group that "this is an important bill that allows residents of the relevant authorities to choose according to their wishes. And that's exactly what I get out of this proposal and other proposals I'm promoting, and I reiterate my recommendation to you in this forum as well to avoid a crude and cheap style, it doesn't add much respect to you or the movement."
Halevy also admitted that "there are also other arguments against the law, some of which I understand, and therefore the initial wording of this law proposed by me was different, and I may even propose certain changes in the committee."
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Acting Mayor of Tiberias Boaz Yosef (left) (Photo: official website, photo - Shlomi Mazor)
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Boaz Yosef has extensive experience in local government, and previously served as comptroller and treasurer of the Tiberias municipality. Later, he served as the Northern District Commissioner in the Ministry of the Interior. Yosef is a resident of Tiberias who left the city for the neighboring moshav Kfar Hitim, who in the past applied for the position of head of the Lower Galilee Regional Council, but eventually withdrew it and did not run. In his role as head of the northern district, Ron Koby, the ousted mayor of Tiberias, saw him as Deri's doer. Kobi repeatedly claimed that Deri was harming Tiberias and trying to sabotage his work.
Kobi placed at the top of his agenda what he defined as the struggle against the city's anxiety and tried to strengthen the tourism industry, including activities on Shabbat. Yousef was one of three senior Interior Ministry officials who held the hearing for Kobi at the end of 2019, after which it was decided to remove him as mayor, after he failed to pass the municipal budget.
Subsequently, Moni Ma'atuk was appointed chairman of the appointed committee in Tiberias and later, Yosef replaced him. Kobi, who declares that he will run for mayor again, argues that there is reason to fault the fact that Yosef was among the decision-makers to remove him, and now he is actually running for mayor with Deri's encouragement, as he puts it.
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- Political-Political
Tags
- Tiberias
- Bill
- Local elections
- Ron Kobi
- Aryeh Deri
- Bezalel Smotrich
- Tali Gottlieb
