Grapevine: Farewell to Jerusalem's deputy mayor, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum

JERUSALEM WILL experience a severe loss when the new city council convenes in November. Missing will be the vivacious and extremely active Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who is not running for reelection.

A lawyer by profession, a multi-tasker who is an excellent public speaker in English, Hebrew, and Spanish, Hassan-Nahoum, as a member of the Likud, had attempted to become active in national politics but failed to gain a place on the Knesset list. But as deputy mayor of Jerusalem, she was closely linked with the city’s diplomatic and economic relations, and was particularly active in forging ties with the Gulf states. In Israel, she was anywhere and everywhere, not limiting herself to Jerusalem alone. In terms of the municipality, she’s gone as far as she can go. After seven and a half years, she is well aware that the burgeoning haredi population will never allow a woman to become mayor, regardless of the extent of her achievements. The haredim barely tolerate the few women who sit on the council.

But in the United Arab Emirates, Hassan-Nahoum is highly appreciated, so that is where she intends to direct much of her energies in the foreseeable future. She is very good at making and keeping contacts. Given Israel’s efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia, Hassan-Nahoum may prove to be the right person in the right place at the right time to act as a kind of unofficial liaison. If she does that well, some day she may be foreign minister.

Chaotic Sukkot in Jerusalem traffic

■ TRAFFIC IN Jerusalem is often chaotic, but never more so than during Sukkot, when the city, which has by far the largest population in the country, is inundated with visitors who, like local residents, are trying to get to one or more of the many events being held throughout the capital at this time of the year.

It would have been helpful if Mayor Moshe Lion had devoted some of the municipality’s Sukkot budget to mounting an intensive campaign urging visitors to Jerusalem to come by train and to leave their cars at home. Aside from relieving some of the congestion, a successful campaign would have resulted in less frustration and frayed tempers.

Veteran business on Emek Refaim celebrates 65-years

■ ONE OF the most veteran business enterprises on Emek Refaim is the lingerie store Salon Mary. Founded by Mary Ackerman, who immigrated to Israel from Hungary a few years after the Holocaust, it has for many years been run by her daughter Ruth Ackerman-Dana, who last week organized a mini celebration of the store’s 65-year presence on Emek Refaim.

To showcase how little has changed, despite some of the trendy stores and eateries that have sprang up, Ackerman-Dana decorated the window of the store with a blown-up photograph of herself and her mother taken some 30 years ago. The sexy lingerie display behind them in the photo did not look much different from the undergarments that are in vogue today. In fact, the petticoat draped in the window was timelessly romantic and beautiful. There was also a photograph of Ackerman-Dana as a little girl, standing opposite the store, with a fairly extensive view of the street. It looked then pretty much as it does now. But all that is about to change as has so much of Jerusalem already.

Jerusalem stone buildings no more?

■ ON THE subject of change, Bonus, the financial supplement of Yediot Yerushalayim, reported last week that planning and construction experts are calling for the abolition of a city ordinance requiring that all buildings in Jerusalem be faced with Jerusalem stone. The ordinance, which dates back to 1918, was imposed by Sir Ronald Storrs, who was governor of the city under the British Mandate.

According to the report, there is no such thing as Jerusalem stone per se. The stone that is so characteristic of Jerusalem can be found all over the country, but is called Jerusalem stone because it is seen most in the buildings of Jerusalem in comparison to those elsewhere.

With the end of the British Mandate, many laws and ordinances were changed by the legislature of the nascent State of Israel, but the Jerusalem stone ordinance, which exemplified the ancient character of the city, continued to prevail.

The reason that urban planners and construction experts are now calling for the abolition is that Jerusalem stone was fine for one-, two-, and three-story buildings but is too heavy for high-rises. As it is, very few of the new towers abide by the ordinance. At best, Jerusalem stone can be seen on fences surrounding the buildings.

Jerusalem as we knew it as recently as two decades ago is fast disappearing. History is being destroyed before our eyes, though some places still remain sacred. But imagine that 100 years from now, some real estate investor might look at the Tower of David Museum and, according to the area of the land, might figure out that it can easily contain 20 high-rise apartment blocks with a little parkland surrounding each. Bye-bye, museum.

Anyone who laughs and says it’s impossible should look back on what has already been destroyed to make way for towers that obstruct our views.

Besheva communications group to hold conference at the Vert hotel

■ REGARDLESS OF change of name or change of ownership, the Besheva communications group continues to hold conferences in Jerusalem in one particular hotel, which is currently the Vert, previously known as the Crowne Plaza, and before that the Jerusalem Hilton.

It stands to reason, therefore, that its next conference, on October 23, will be at the Vert. It will be somewhat different from its other conferences in that it is essentially economic, but the major difference is the political imbalance. In the past, a fair number of left-wing politicians and other people known to be on the left of the political divide were listed among the speakers. Not this time.

The listed politicians are Moshe Lion; Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch; Ra’anana Mayor Chaim Broyde; Bat Yam Mayor Tzvika Brot; Gush Etzion Regional Council head Shlomo Ne’eman; Foreign Minister Eli Cohen; Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich; Interior Minister and Health Minister Moshe Arbel; and Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat, who is a former mayor of Jerusalem. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who is a former finance minister and former prime minister, is not included, nor is Naftali Bennett, but former justice minister and interior minister Ayelet Shaked is included in her present capacity as chairwoman of Kardan Real Estate. She may return to politics as soon as her cooling-off period expires. She has already been invited to join the Likud, and is reportedly considering the proposition.

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