How a 'coup' happened in a Jerusalem community board

When we think of a coup, we usually think of a rebel army, royal palace intrigues, or foreign interests meddling in the affairs of a weakened state. None of these even comes close to what happened in the last few weeks on the Gonenim local council board, which unites several neighborhoods. But the fact is, a “coup” is exactly what happened there, when the chairwoman who was elected a year and a half ago had to give up her position after an ad hoc coalition was formed by the other members of the board and, as a result, another member of the board was elected in her place.

Zvika Tchernichovski, former CEO of the Jerusalem local council and community centers, says that such things have happened in the past – and added that as long as the procedure was transparent and conducted democratically, there is no reason to reject it. However, some residents are afraid of the consequences, which may damage the fabric of the neighborhoods.

One of the claims heard from residents, mainly from Rassco, is that the new chairman, Yossi Saidov, is identified at Safra Square as an opponent, even personally hostile to Mayor Moshe Lion. “There is, of course, nothing bad in an activist resident disagreeing with the mayor’s moves and even trying to promote his opposition,” said a resident of Rassco, “but some fear that the price of the struggle that has been going on for more than five years between Saidov and Lion will be paid by the residents.”

Yossi Saidov vs Moshe Lion: Jerusalem local political drama

A little over a year ago, as part of the elections for eight community boards in the city, Efrat Zocher Arica was elected as the chairwoman of Gonenim, which represents the interests of several neighborhoods – Katmon Het, Tet; Pat; Rassco; and Gonenim – an election that was seen by many as the result of a campaign to encourage more women to become involved in public life. The election for the community boards served as a kind of test for the chances of more women participating in the upcoming elections to the city council, and the election of Zocher Arica was certainly perceived as such.

But the excitement of her successful election did not last long. Saidov, a prominent social activist in the neighborhood who focuses mainly on encouraging and promoting public transportation, claimed that the chairwoman was unable to block the mayor’s plans – among them, more and more roads.

In an open letter of thanks to the members of the board who voted for Arica’s dismissal and his election in her place, Saidov spoke in a subdued tone and even thanked her for the service she did for the neighborhood.

“First of all, I would like to thank the outgoing chairman, Efrat Zocher Arica, for two years of tenure and activity for the administration and for the residents. Efrat has many merits and successes, including the restoration of the community administration, which was dismantled by the municipality, and the Association of Community Centers. Efrat volunteered under impossible conditions in front of a hostile municipality that hid information from the administration. We appreciate Efrat’s pleasant manner and bright nature and will know how to work together and in cooperation for the sake of the residents,” wrote Saidov on the Gonenim council website. 

However, in a phone conversation with In Jerusalem, his tone changed a bit, and he did not hesitate to accuse his predecessor of surrendering to the mayor. 

Saidov said that for bureaucratic reasons, even after former mayor Nir Barkat supported the Hamesila Park project, the road plan was not canceled officially. “And now, Mayor Lion has decided to reactivate this plan and destroy this magnificent project, Hamesila Park, in order to construct this road that nobody needs. The light rail is planned to run there, and we all agree that public transportation should be highly preferred – so what’s the point of adding a road that will run along the rail track and, on the way, destroy the park? It’s a stupid, unnecessary plan that doesn’t serve the residents; and when I realized that Efrat had no ability to oppose it, it was clear to me that I had to come forward.”

AS FOR Zocher Arica, she is still smarting from her dismissal, which was made possible after one of the members of the board, Yuval Abutbul, who represents the Katamonim, decided to transfer his support from her to Saidov. And, indeed, Saidov didn’t forget to send big and special thanks to Abutbul. “Yuval, a man of action and giving, and I have a long history. In part, we were on both sides of the fence, but in recent years and in fact even before the outbreak of the coronavirus, we learned to work together, combine forces, recognize each other’s advantages and learn from each other,” continued Saidov in his open letter. 

In the view of Zocher Arica, things have to be done in a different way. “I was involved in all stages of all the projects for the Gonenim local council,” she explained, “but things were done [behind] my back, while I was promoting my way to obtain things from the municipality, which, after all, is the body that funds us.”

Saidov convinced the majority of the board members to walk with him on a different path, which is mainly a battle against the municipality and its mayor. But the road plan is only one of the issues that bother the residents of the Gonenim neighborhoods. Too much promotion of pinui/binui (evacuate and renovate) – or “urban renewal” – plans arouses a lot of opposition. Many residents see this as giving real estate sharks a free hand to destroy not only buildings but also the fabric of life in order to make easy profits. 

“The distance between us and Safra Square is only 10 stops on Bus line No. 18, but as far as policies and the needs of the residents are concerned, the distance is light years. The poor municipal infrastructure, the disconnection of Safra Square from the elected officials, and predatory policies harm us all,” continued Saidov in his letter. “It is true,” he added, “we do not have the powers of the municipality, but we have a daily connection to the area, to dozens of activists, to hundreds and thousands of residents and to the various and diverse communities. I know that Safra would like to see another chairman in Katamonim; I know that the attempts to oust me began the second I was elected, and I am not afraid of that.”

How Lion will react to the dramatic change not only in the persons but mostly in the messages coming from the newly elected chairman, it is too early to say. Lion and Saidov have a long history of struggles, some of which stem from different views of what is the public good, while some – it must be said – are the result of ego struggles between the two.

Zocher Arica remains a member of the board, and the question now is whether she will succeed, removed from her position as chairman but still a member of the board, in incorporating her more conciliatory approach into the board’s decisions, or whether the Gonenim residents should prepare for a period of sparks that will fly between Safra Square and their neighborhood. And another question is whether the impeachment of Zocher Arica, who dedicated days and nights for the residents, will harm the willingness of more women to enter the arena of local politics.

In response, the mayor clarified that there is no intention to damage Hamesila Park, and that his demand is that first of all, a bridge with a moderate slope be built over the road in question. The CEO of the master plan for transportation, Zohar Zoler, added that the general picture must be seen. People do not always see the whole picture, but it is impossible to approach the plans based only on the narrow view of this or that neighborhood. As the mayor, Lion said he must see the whole picture to promote plans that serve all residents. ❖