Herzliya Accused of Political Bias in Public Venue Use

The Herzliya Municipality is facing accusations of political bias after allegedly prohibiting the Likud party from holding an event in a public facility while allowing a panel featuring a member of the "Democrats" party and the mayor to take place in a city-allocated venue. Two months prior, the municipality banned the Likud from using public property for political activity during an election period, citing a directive against using municipal assets for political purposes. However, Mayor Yair Fisher recently participated in a panel at the Air Force House in Herzliya alongside Moshe Redman of the "Democrats" party. The Air Force House is located in a venue allocated by the municipality, which is responsible for it. The municipality defended its actions, stating that the hall is not owned by the city and that the mayor's participation was to promote education. "The hall where the event is taking place is not owned by the municipality. The event organizers determined the list of guests. The Mayor of Herzliya, Yair Fisher, sees education as a supreme value, and takes part in the opportunity to promote and spread the message of state-Hebrew education," a municipal spokesperson said. The organization "BeTzalmo" announced its intention to file a complaint with the Ministry of Interior, alleging blatant law violation and discrimination against right-wing parties, while allowing left-wing parties access to municipal allocations.