Narendra Modi One of the results of last week’s short strike by municipal sanitation workers was a still-growing sense of insecurity among the residents, heightened as the mayoral and city council elections draw closer. The third go-around of the clash between Mayor Nir Barkat and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon has deepened the feeling that once again, politics is deciding on how daily life goes here, while nobody really listens to what the residents truly need.
Above all, there is a lot of anger toward Barkat – and not because Jerusalemites do not realize that the government, and the Finance Ministry more specifically, are not acting fairly towards the city. Jerusalemites already understood, a long time ago, that politicians are quick to say they stand by the capital, but tend to disregard its needs, especially in terms of budget, very quickly. The offense is shared by many, with improvements to the situation held back by ignorance and defiance.
