Nationalist Jerusalem Councilman Aryeh King, of the "United Jerusalem" faction, intends to bring great changes to the Israeli capital. Speaking to Arutz Sheva he outlined some of his plans, which include the outlawing of muezzin Muslim prayer calls in the middle of the night.
In the recent elections King received posts as Chairperson of the Environment Committee, as well as the Emergency and Security Committee, after "United Jerusalem" joined re-elected Mayor Nir Barkat's coalition.
King's bold plans to "Judaize Jerusalem" have triggered a leftist campaign calling Barkat to remove him from the coalition. Speaking about the campaign, King commented that if it had begun two months earlier, during the city council elections, "we would have received two more mandates."
One of the first issues the nationalist councilman plans to tackle is the muezzin Muslim call to prayer, which wakes many residents of the city at all hours of the night.
Last week, as chair of the Environment Committee, King put out tenders for a new position enforcing the noise law. He commented "just like it's forbidden for us (Jews) to make loud noises after 12 at night it will be forbidden to them."
Meanwhile, through his position on the Security Committee, King is determined to bring security to the "neighborhoods of the seam line," those located between predominantly Jewish and predominantly Arab areas. King reports positive trends as hareidi-religious and religious-Zionist Jews are increasingly moving to the areas.
King revealed plans to put parks in the undeveloped areas next to the French Hill neighborhood which has suffered attacks in the past, and to further install cameras in the parks.
Regarding Barkat, former head of Kadima in Jerusalem, King said "I didn't hide my criticism from Nir Barkat. According to him there's no dispute between us on the goals of the municipality, the dispute is only how to reach the same goal." King says Barkat also claims to want "to Judaize Jerusalem, which will continue to be united, and wants that Jews will be able to live wherever they want."