Former mayor of Haifa and mayoral candidate Yona Yahav is confident that within three months he will be able to solve the most pressing issue in the city's current election campaign – the plague of pigs. "When whole herds of pigs knock on your door, it's unnatural," he says. "Pigs and humans cannot live together in a public space. And when it happens in heaping doses, you have no choice but to talk about it. It scares the children – it's very difficult to get them to school. It's very hard to drive on the streets when whole herds are jumping towards your car. I advise you not to experiment with these things."
When asked how he would do it, he is less eager to find out. "Together with the natural elements we teamed up and did a number of activities that brought them back down to Vedicism, and there was complete quiet in the urban space during my three terms."
Yona Yahav announces his run for mayor of Haifa, photo: Herzi Shapira
Pigs around the city of Haifa, photo: Herzi Shapira
Is there any intention to shoot them?
"The natural elements know what is permitted."
Yahav, who is considered a mythical mayor after serving three terms, said on "My City" – the municipal podcast ahead of the local elections – that he had been preparing for the role of mayor since he was a child. When asked what he learned from past mistakes, he replied: "I learned two things – not to go into corners that you shouldn't go into, especially not to quarrels and conflicts, and I also learned that I didn't know how to use social media at the time. I didn't use them – like I hadn't."
"I learned two things – not to go into corners that shouldn't go in, especially not to quarrel and conflict, and I also learned that I didn't know how to use social media at the time. I didn't use them – as if I hadn't."
Were there no mistakes in running the city for 15 years?
"There were no mistakes in running the city because I prepared myself for the job from the age of 12. I made a list of 10 positions that I had to go through in order to qualify me for this position, including working with Teddy Kollek (former mayor of Jerusalem) and I managed to become his bureau chief – the position of spokesman for the Jerusalem municipality in order to know how to run a mixed city of Jews and Arabs. That's why when I was elected, we managed it with tremendous success – and everyone knows that Haifa has been a city of peace in the world for 100 years."
What did the current mayor, Einat Kalish Rotem, do wrong?
"She came to the job with no experience. And it manifests itself immediately."
Was there a significant mistake you can point to?
"60% of success in any role is experience."
Haifa Mayor Einat Kalish-Rotem, Photo: Pini Siluk
Were there any projects of yours that Kalish canceled?
"All of them."
Eyebrow raising?
"Very. For example, she gave up the matron to the university and the Technion, the cable cars, the roads – she gave up the money we received. Now he went to Acre and Nahariya. They are now renovating their roads instead of renovating ours."
Distributing fake news
When Yahav is asked what he thinks has happened to the country in recent years, he answers: "We have given up patriotism, and I tell you exactly how it is expressed. First of all, there are a million and a quarter descendants from this country – starting with the place of the state. It took us a thousand years to return to Spain after the Inquisition. It took us 10 years to return to Berlin after the Holocaust. We don't read the map properly a bit. When Jews go on sabbatical, they don't always come back, but when they go on sabbatical, they always come back."
According to him, the problem is that "this is not on our agenda – there is no depth in the study of this subject. Which is a great shame. I talk about this passionately because as a child I specialized in the subject of the Holocaust. It can't stay that way. We live on the basis of our history – and if we ignore it then what will happen? Today we are 50 years since the Yom Kippur War – 90 percent of young people don't know anything about it."
"They leaked a medical file that there is none. But who touches these things? I've been working in public for so many years and they've never done it. I worked with Rabin, Kollek and Peres – they never did things like this."
One of the ugly issues in the current campaign in the city is the spread of fake news. Do you feel that the campaign in Haifa is becoming more aggressive?
"Of course it is, it's a shame – it's not my style. We will talk to everyone with great respect."
Yona Yahav. Running again, photo: Ancho Ghosh/Genie
Where did you think the red lines were crossed?
"Everything they've published and leaked."
What did they leak?
"For example, they leaked a medical file that there is none. But who touches these things? I've been working in public for so many years and they've never done it. I worked with Rabin, Kollek and Peres – they never did things like this."
Is it insulting?
"It lowers the public discourse to such a level that it is not nice. You don't want to be there. You also want in such an intelligent city with such higher educational institutions, the discourse here will be completely different."
Is there room for a lawsuit?
"During the elections, I don't deal with legal issues. After the elections, we will consider whether it is worthwhile or not. It's not a simple Via Delorosa."
Why do you need at this age - after everything you've done, to experience this thing again? After all, local politics are filthier than national and have less glamour.
"Everything stems from a very deep love for Haifa, uncompromising love. And when I see where the city is crashing, I don't feel free to stand by. We'll do the work and fix it. We are coming for a five-year correction period."
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