The Yerushalmim party has a much larger following among the Jerusalemites than one would have thought following its modest achievements at the 2013 elections.
By PEGGY CIDORBeit Hansen exterior Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and Fleur Hassan-Nahum, a Jerusalem city council member and new deputy mayor, conclude an agreement to expand the coalition to include the Yerushalmim Party(photo credit: JACKIE LEVY/JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY)
It has been in the air for a few weeks, but very few believed it would end up with an agreement. There were seemingly too many obstacles, including the apprehension from the unavoidable, and perhaps even poisonous, critics. But it finally happened, and on Monday afternoon Fleur Hassan-Nahum and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat posed for a picture after signing an agreement that paved the way back to the coalition for Yerushalmim, a three-seat list at the city council led by Hassan-Nahum.Judging by the anger this step aroused, mainly among Hitorerut members and candidate for mayor Yossi Havilio, it seems that Hassan-Nahum has touched a nerve. The reactions were harsh and nasty, and the accusations, mudslinging and degradation of the move, including hinting at some greedy hidden intention just to get a financial reward, didn’t take long to burst out.Hassan-Nahum told In Jerusalem a few hours before the official announcement that her new position as deputy mayor, replacing Hitorerut’s Ofer Berkovitch who resigned a month ago, would not be sealed with a payroll, since the rule is that in an election year no new paid positions are allowed. A request to enable an exception will be sent to the Interior Ministry, but both Barkat and Hassan-Nahum know that there is no chance that such an inquiry will be answered in the affirmative.Which means that it is clear that Hassan-Nahum hasn’t decided to lead the move just because she needs the money. So, let’s take a look at the meaning of this bold step to see who and what it will serve.Clearly, the first to benefit is Barkat. The Yerushalmim party has a much larger following among the Jerusalemites than one would have thought following its modest achievements at the 2013 elections. Hassan-Nahum is aware of this and has been trying to promote this through strategic moves at the beginning of the elections year.Likewise, including Yerushalmim in his coalition is a brilliant move for the mayor, who still has not managed to create a normal and healthy relationship with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon. Presently, Kahlon refuses to answer Barkat’s phone calls. Because of this, at least at Safra Square, nobody has a clue what will be the government’s participation in the city’s 2018 budget. The city council and some 900,000 residents are thus the hostages of this ongoing saga of bad blood between Barkat and Kahlon.But this is exactly the point where Hassan-Nahum and Yerushalmim may bring a crucial change. Yerushalmim was founded about a decade ago by MK Rachel Azaria, today a member of the Kahlon-headed Kulanu party and quite close to the minister. It therefore seems impossible that these two could ignore the needs of a city council in which their local partners are now part of the coalition and backing the mayor.The Yerushalmim constituency and their representatives at the city council also have a lot to gain from this move. From a group that had been appreciated but lagging behind the more powerful Hitorerut, moving from the opposition to become part of the coalition is by all means a smart move. This agreement allows Yerushalmim to immediately be involved in a series of issues that are important for residents even beyond their own supporters. “Instead of just denouncing and asking and mak[ing] noise without any impact on the facts on the ground, we will be where things are decided,” explained Hassan-Nahum, more than hinting at the fact that in recent months this is exactly what, in her opinion, Berkovitch and his partners at Hitorerut did, without obtaining any concrete solutions to the problems at hand. Nonetheless, the final test will be their achievements, with the first and most important task being the 2018 budget for the city.Hassan-Nahum has pledged to sort out the budget in the coming months, before the next elections. She also promised to create more cultural and entertainment events and venues, and to better cater to the needs of children, young adults and young families. She has also made the commitment to hold pluralistic events for all, with a special emphasis on including women – not only in public but also on the stage. She also has promised more state schools in the pluralistic neighborhoods. She hopes to accomplish all this from her new, much stronger position as part of the coalition and as deputy mayor.As for her fierce opponents and critics, one could say that at least for now the feeling is that Hassan-Nahum’s move has pulled the rug from under their feet. Their angry reactions are therefore no surprise, but her ultimate test will be to fulfill all these promises.
