A new report by Israel’s State Comptroller Yosef Shapira has reportedly
found that former Housing Minister Ariel Atias of the Sefardi haredi
Shas political party used undue influence to skew decisions made by
Israel’s Land Authority. Atias allegedly forced the Land Authority to
favor haredim over non-haredim in new housing projects. The comptroller's report allegedly reviews 50
incidents in 2011 alone where Atias allegedly skewed programs and
housing projects to benefit haredim and hurt secular Jews.
Ariel Atias
State Comptroller Reportedly Finds That Former Haredi Housing Minister Skewed Housing Programs To Favor Haredim, Hurt Secular Jews
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
A new report by Israel’s State Comptroller Yosef Shapira has reportedly found that former Housing Minister Ariel Atias of the Sefardi haredi Shas political party used undue influence to skew decisions made by Israel’s Land Authority. Atias allegedly forced the Land Authority to favor haredim over non-haredim in new housing projects, the Times of Israel reports, citing a Channel 10 news report based on the as yet unreleased comptroller’s report. That report allegedly reviews 50 incidents in 2011 alone where Atias allegedly skewed programs and housing projects to benefit haredim and hurt secular Jews.
In one of those incidents, Atias allegedly pressured the Israel Land Administration, forcing it to market a 3,000-apartment housing project in Lod exclusively to haredim, giving them tax incentives that were designed to bring working middle class Jews to the city.
In another example, a housing project in Petah Tikva was allegedly changed by Atias and tailored so that it would benefit haredim – but not benefit secular Jews.