The mayor issued a press release, picked up by all the local newspapers, in response to the recent inflammatory Israel TV show about the "haredi takeover of Bet Shemesh".

I call on all the city's residents to respect people who are different than they are and to accept everyone for who they are...The existence of chareidim in the city is a fact and occurred during the watch of the previous Mayor and they are entitled to all city services like everyone else. We are continuing to build the city including a new Cultural Center, a new City Hall, fixing Highways 38 and 10, and we look forward to the building of a new neighborhood for the police academy...I am always happy to help create bridges between communities with love and unity."

(translation courtesy of Rabbi Dov Lipman's BS news email)

Everything the mayor said is true. The haredim are a fact. Their existence and growth in Bet Shemesh is a fact, and instead of fighting it, people need to accept it and figure out how to deal with it to everyone's benefit.

That being said, I wonder why the mayor chose to only mention the need to accept haredim and their presence in the city, and why not go both ways? The point of his comment is that he is willing to be a bridge between communities - so why not mention the fact that the haredim have a problem with the secular and dati leumi just like he did mention the other way..

I understand he is responding to an inflammatory piece against the haredim, but once he is talking about being a bridge, he should address all the issues, not just one-way, as if the problem is only one-way...