Posted on 03/08/2009 5:57:32 AM PDT by forkinsocket
After preventing family of Sudanese refugees from residing in his town, Shlomi Mayor Gabi Naaman does the same with Lebanese couple seeking to rent apartment in area
For the second time in the past few weeks, Zivit Avivi has been forced to terminate a tenancy agreement for her apartment in the northern town of Shlomi after the local council rejected her potential lodgers.
About two months ago, the tenants were a family of Sudanese refugees staying in Israel legally. This time it was a young couple, former members of the Southern Lebanon Army, who had already signed a contract and paid rent.
Avivi's husband took the signed contract to the local council offices in order to connect the apartment to the water supply, but the payment office workers immediately telephoned the council head, who instructed them not to connect the flat. The new tenants were forced to cancel the agreement and leave the community.
The rumor on the new lodgers also reached the neighbors at the apartment building, who sent a letter to Mayor Gabi Naaman, demanding that he prevent SLA member from settling in the community.
Several weeks ago, when the flat was rented to the Sudanese family, Naaman also prevented the connection of the apartment to the water supply, saying that he preferred bringing a strong and well-based population to Shlomi.
It should be noted that the parents in both families, the Sudanese and the Lebanese, have decent jobs and their children are part of the educational system.
"I tried to explain that this is a lovely, pleasant and quiet couple," said Zivit Avivi. "Beyond the financial matter, there is the human element that people must not be disqualified based on their religion, race or nationality."
Shlomi's Opposition Chairman Yigal Ziskind said in response, "This is a first-class scandal. The law does not grant an authority or council head the mandate to choose who will live in the community and who won't. There is no admission board in Shlomi, and Naaman is not authorized to act as one."
No members of 'underprivileged classes' Mayor Naaman does not hide his stance against non-Jewish residents in Shlomi.
"Zivit asked to rent her apartment to an SLA family," he said. "As far as I know, the building's tenant strongly objected and she terminated the contract. I definitely support the tenants and appreciate their desire to maintain Shlomi's status as a Jewish community and not to turn it into a binational community."
As for his refusal to connect the apartment to the water supply, Naaman stressed, "I gave an order in the past, and I stand behind it these days as well, not to change names in contracts when the residents are not Jewish or are members of what we call 'the underprivileged classes'.
"The goal is to prevent a situation in which the tenants get into lots of debts which they will not be able to pay in the future. The vast majority of Shlomi's residents support my stand. I don't want Shlomi to turn into another Akko or Ma'alot."
Rosa Gonzales, who lives in the building in question, said that the fact that the couple was non-Jewish had nothing to do with the neighbors' objection. "We are angry at the apartment owner for not consulting us before signing a tenancy agreement."
"The Symbionese Liberation Army (S.L.A.) was an American self-styled urban guerrilla warfare group active between 1973 and 1975 that considered itself a revolutionary vanguard army. The group committed bank robberies, two murders and other acts of violence.
The S.L.A. became internationally notorious for kidnapping media heiress Patty Hearst, abducting the 19-year-old as she and her 26-year-old boyfriend, Steven Weed, sat relaxing in their Berkeley, California home."
Interesting. We had the wife of a priest from the West Bank visit our parish not that long ago. She told the women about these sorts of occurrences which are apparently relatively widespread. It does give one pause.
Same here.
We on the right often forget how much many Israelis descriminate against non-Jews because we generally support Israel. Israel has a rather checkered past in dealing with non-Jews within its borders.
What is most sad to me about this case is that Israel OWES these people. An SLA family wouldn’t need to live in Israel if Israel had not SCREWED the SLA after creating it in the first place.
“We on the right often forget how much many Israelis descriminate against non-Jews because we generally support Israel. Israel has a rather checkered past in dealing with non-Jews within its borders.”
Sad but true.
OTOH, think of how the Arab countries treat Jews inside their borders...(and there is a death penalty for selling land to a Jew in several of them...)
You wrote:
“OTOH, think of how the Arab countries treat Jews inside their borders...(and there is a death penalty for selling land to a Jew in several of them...)”
True, but don’t we expect that from third world Muslims?
I would expect more civility and respect from European Jews and their descendents, university graduates, people who experienced pogroms when they lived in Arab countries, etc. Those who have felt descrimination most should be most upset by it. In Israel this sometimes isn’t the case.
Sad all around.
That being said, you're right that Israel owes the SLA. I was disgusted at how Israel just abandoned the SLA in the dead of night, and it's disgusting how they've been treated in Israel. Yet another thing Ehud Barak screwed up.
Not to mention. Israel has already paid a price for its immorality and shortsightedness in dealing with the SLA -- thousands of rockets from Hezbollah, and a fruitless war fought to try to eliminate them.
Normally I would back Israel in most actions. Not this time. This is plain and simple WRONG! Unfortunately, there exists those who blindly hate from every group and these types must be made an example for ridicule. Hearing these blatantly hateful things happening in Israel saddens me. Somebody needs to reign in this council and deride them for their hatred.
**When I saw ‘SLA’, these commie creeps first came to mind...**
My first thoughts also till I read the article.
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