A public dispute has erupted at the Jerusalem Municipality after Deputy Mayor Yitzhak Meir Brim (Agudat Yisrael) accused City Council member Yossi Havilio of unfairly targeting the haredi community in a strongly worded letter.
The exchange follows Havilio's campaign against the municipality's decision to allocate the historic Bikur Cholim hospital building to a haredi educational institution. Havilio argued that the move undermines proper governance, the rule of law, and the protection of public assets, while warning it would alter the character of downtown Jerusalem.
Brim dismissed those claims, saying criticism of municipal decisions is legitimate only if it is applied consistently. He argued that Havilio has focused on the Bikur Cholim allocation while ignoring what Brim described as similar planning concerns surrounding the former Shaarei Tzedek hospital building, which is currently occupied by the Public Space association.
In his letter, Brim questioned whether the rule of law is being applied equally across the city or only when haredi institutions are involved. He claimed Havilio's approach raises concerns about selective enforcement and discriminatory treatment of the haredi sector. Brim concluded by urging the council member to apply the same legal standards to all cases, saying that only consistent enforcement can credibly be presented as a defense of the rule of law.