Ex-Mayor Banned From Municipal Building After Physical Altercation

A Rishon LeZion Magistrate's Court has prohibited Yitzhak Bukovza, the 75-year-old former mayor of Or Yehuda, from approaching the municipal building for three months and two senior municipal officials for six months. The court's decision on October 25th followed an incident in early October where Bukovza physically pushed the city's chief engineer, an event captured on surveillance video.

The legal action was initiated after Leonid Ginzburg, the chief engineer, and Limor Zanzuri, head of the licensing department, filed a request for a restraining order, citing persistent aggressive behavior from Bukovza towards municipal employees. They stated that Bukovza frequently visits the municipality, often outside of official hours, and behaves in a manner that threatens staff.

Bukovza, a lawyer by profession, served as Or Yehuda's mayor for a total of approximately 24 years across two distinct periods, first elected in 1978 and again from 1998 until his resignation in March 2007. Ginzburg and Zanzuri claim Bukovza frequently raises his voice, insults employees, and acts as if he owns the building, undermining staff security.

Judge Dalia Estreicher ruled that Bukovza's actions, including pushing the chief engineer after a verbal dispute, crossed the line from a legitimate disagreement to threatening behavior. She rejected Bukovza's explanation that the argument was about a door, emphasizing that citizens do not have the right to act as if municipal property is their own. The judge also noted Bukovza's disruptive conduct during the court hearing itself, where he repeatedly interrupted proceedings.

In his response, Bukovza denied the accusations, claiming the municipality is retaliating against him for representing clients in urban renewal projects and for filing a lawsuit against the municipal director. He alleged procedural violations and corruption within the engineering department and called the video evidence fabricated and taken out of context. Bukovza asserted that if he had committed violence, police would have intervened, and that the current situation is slander.