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Jul 11, 2012
Shimon Biton-next mayor of Bet Shemesh? -Who he is and what he stands for.
A Guest Post Prepared by Zev Kaplan
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Shimon Biton-next mayor of Bet Shemesh? -Who he is and what he stands for.
Shimon Biton was born in 1959 in Bet Shemesh to a family of olim from Morocco. As a youth, he attended Bnei Akiva youth groups and a local elementary school near the shuk which today houses Ahavat Yisrael boys .He attended high school in Jerusalem.
After completing his army service and undergraduate degree at Hebrew University, Shimon devoted himself to his passions- politics,journalism and community affairs.
He worked in the Knesset offices of Yosef Burg a"h and Dovid Danino(both NRP) and Minister Dovid Levy(Likud) as an advisor and was on the slate of candidates for Knesset for Meimad under Rav Amital zt"l. He has also long been involved in local politics.
He is well-known to all Bet Shemesh residents who were present in the mid-1980's as the founder and publisher of weekly local newspaper "Iton Acher". This paper changed the face of local journalism as it had the courage to challenge corruption in the city's administration. His journalistic fervor started at an early age as he edited campus newspapers and journals throughout high school and university, wrote for the Jerusalem weekly "Kol Ha"ir, and continues even today with his hard-hitting weekly column in Shopping Mekomi- the largest free-distribution weekly in Bet Shemesh.
Another passion of Shimon's has always been community service. He founded the " עמותה לקידום בית שמש" in 1987 to advance the interests of the city and served in the מועצת נוער as a teenager. He studied community activism at Hebrew University and worked for the Jewish Agency both here and in the US on a program training Israelis for leadership positions with American youth. Later on, he worked with various other community organizations in executive roles and was involved in various social justice causes such as "הקשת הדמוקרטית המזרחית".
Shimon Biton decided to become a lawyer in his late 30"s as a continuation of his life work- to mold and better public policy for future generations, especially in his beloved Bet Shemesh. He has always felt a drive and responsibility to give back to the city he was born and raised in, and felt that was an important step in that direction. He did his "stag" with the legal advisor to the "אגודה לזכויות האזרח", and since 2002 practices law in Bet Shemesh.
Short interview with Shimon Biton
What is your view on the future of Bet Shemesh?
I believe that Bet Shemesh, much like Jerusalem, should and will be a balanced mix of chiloni,dati-leumi and charedi, which with proper leadership will bring out the best in all of us. As mayor I will do everything in my power to build for all segments of the population and ensure that Bet Shemesh does not become another Bnei Brak. I find it morally reprehensible that the city, which was established by immigrants with one set of Jewish values at great sacrifice, can warmly welcome other very different types of Jews and have them attempt to build this city into something which is starting to resemble something that they, nor the Anglo and Russian olim who moved here, ever imagined it would be.
How would you deal with the extremists/sikrikim?
As someone who has grown up in Bet Shemesh I find this whole phenomena utterly distasteful. Back in the early days and until recently, mutual respect for others and the rule of law was taken for granted. That is the Bet Shemesh I know and love. I am proud to call myself an extremist against extremists. What they do in their own neighborhoods is an issue which can be debated as long as it doesn't impinge on other people. As a citizen first and a lawyer second I find the recent events in our city very dangerous. Bet Shemesh should be world famous for better things.
Tell us your views on ecological issues, charigei bniyah and illegal haksa'ot of land?
Bet Shemesh is blessed to be situated in a part of Israel with green areas and topography among the best in the country. This should make for a high quality of life and make us respect the enviornment. Unfortunately the city does not seem to make the enviornment a high priority and turns a blind eye to illegal building to the point that the national government is ready to step in to enforce building codes. I have been involved in many lawsuits against this and against the apportionment of lots to charedi institutions in "old" Bet Shemesh. I am strongly against discrimination against any group, but we need to establish order with regard to illegal building to assure an orderly and well-run city
What makes you qualified to be mayor of Bet Shemesh?
A complex city such as ours needs someone with the tools and background to manage and unite it-especially after the ongoing ugliness and divisions it has endured in recent years which are well known around the world. I bring with me a lifetime of experience and worldliness, am very comfortable with all populations including Anglos(I speak fluent English), served in the army and have dealt with many,many complicated legal, moral and halachik issues (many of them Bet Shemesh related)my entire career. I am not a career politician or party apparatchik but care deeply about the complex issues facing our city and have the tools to deal with them. My views are well-known to all my readers in Shopping and I'm available to personally meet with anyone from the English -speaking community at their convenience to discuss issues on their minds.To set up a meeting send an email to nhtr48@netvision.net.il. I am an orthodox Jew who believes that Bet Shemesh needs the right leader at this critical time who will restore a sense of balance to our beleaguered city. I know that uniting our city will be a difficult task but I believe that with the proper sensitivity and leadership
we have a great future ahead of us.
Rafi G's Note: if you wish to promote a candidate for mayor of Bet Shemesh and post about it here, contact me for information about how to submit a guest post...
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Can you post a photo? We live in a relatively small city (for now), and I would be interested in knowing if I actually have encountered this individual.
ReplyDeleteSee http://lifeinisrael.blogspot.co.il/2012/07/bet-shemesh-more-of-same.html for a photo and more about him.
DeleteHe isn't Charedi so what's his chance.
ReplyDeleteHe sounds good, and cares for Beit Shemesh. However he is but one of many potential non Chareidi candidates, each whom I am sure sees him/herself as the ideal mayor. The problem is the non-Chareidi bloc must run ONE and only ONE candidate for mayor. If there are 2, then the fight is over before it has even started. Now tell that to Shimon Biton, Dov Lipman, Natan Shitrit, Jacky Edri, Shalom Lerner, and even Danny Vaknin, who might think only he can save the city. All these must overcome their egoistic ambitions, and decide who the candidate is. Maybe the non Chareidi bloc need to run a poll, to see who the people want. Whatever about needing a candidate wo speaks English, more important I think is he needs to be Moroccan, so he can take votes away from Abutbul. Moroccan, religious Dati Leumi, and on good terms with moderate chareidim so he can get something there. I think we have a greater chance of moshiach coming
ReplyDeleteHe sounds wonderful, just what this city needs. Good luck to him! I hope that all the different sections of Bet Shemesh get behind him and give him their vote. He may be the last chance we get to prevent this city from turning into Bnei Brak II.
ReplyDelete2 points of interest here to put Shimon Biton in context.
ReplyDelete- He was a very outspoken supporter of Danny Vaknin in the previous election.
- He is a well known property attorney from Old Beit Shemesh. If you're thinking of backing him for public office, get a reference on him from your own attorney. Most local attorneys will have dealt with him at some point.
1. did anyone else notice that he shares his name with the rav ha`ir?
ReplyDelete2. he sounds so anti...