Haifa Deputy Mayor Post Goes to Hadash Member Amid Coalition Rift
On Tuesday evening, Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav requested the city council to approve the appointment of Faher Bayadsi, a Hadash party member, as deputy mayor. This appointment follows a rotation agreement made after the local elections, granting Hadash the deputy mayor position with salary in the second half of the term. The position became available after Deputy Mayor Raja Zaatara stepped down and Israel Savion ended his term.
The decision sparked immediate controversy as Likud city council member Yaniv Ben Shoshan resigned from the municipal coalition in protest. Ben Shoshan criticized Bayadsi as a "Palestinian nationalist" and stated he could no longer remain part of the coalition following the appointment.
Mayor Yahav defended the move, emphasizing Haifa's identity as a city of coexistence and tolerance between Jews and Arabs. He described Bayadsi as a committed advocate for peace and shared life and cited Ze'ev Jabotinsky to support Arab representation in mixed cities' leadership.
Hadash hailed the appointment as a significant achievement for Jewish-Arab partnership and a rebuke to right-wing extremism, praising Yahav for resisting pressure and threats from Likud, including alleged budget cuts. Hadash Knesset list leader Dr. Yousef Jabareen called it a victory for Haifa and for equality and representation of Arab society in decision-making.
The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality also welcomed the appointment as a major success against fascist forces and evidence of Hadash's growing influence. Amir Badran, deputy mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, congratulated the move as a clear message of partnership and equality, expressing hope for cooperation between the two cities.
Opposition voices included Likud's Ben Shoshan, who accused Yahav of prioritizing his position over principles. Israel Beytenu, through Tatiana John, condemned the approval as a failure of Haifa council members' Zionist test, asserting that senior city roles require loyalty to Israel and responsibility for citizens' security.
