Barkat Claims Netanyahu Not Backing Up Yerushalayim

YERUSHALAYIM (Hamodia Staff) —

Yerushalayim has not received the emergency funding promised by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to help it through the security crisis, Mayor Nir Barkat charged on Sunday night.

Amid negotiations for an aid package for the city struggling with a drop in tourism and street-shy Israelis afraid to shop in public places vulnerable to terrorist attack, Barkat went public with a letter.

“The end has come for public words and warnings about the importance and status of Yerushalayim,” Barkat wrote. “It is time for action. Continuing to ignore Yerushalayim’s needs will be a victory for terror.”

“This year, once again, we have reached a situation in which the capital of Israel is forced to struggle against the Finance Ministry in order to receive the reasonable budget that it deserves,” the letter stated.

The prime minister’s office responded that the government was investing billions of shekels in developing the capital, naming various allocations, including development of the city’s new train station and other infrastructure projects.

Sources close to Netanyahu alleged that Barket’s missive was politically motivated, aimed at serving the mayor’s aspirations for national office.

“Yerushalayim and its mayor have a listening ear in the Prime Minister’s Office that is backed up by concrete plans and funding,” a source close to Netanyahu said. “That is why the letter is so shocking.”

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