Beersheba Mayor Bars Public from Council Meeting Amid Deputy Mayor Assault Allegations

On Wednesday evening, dozens of residents protested outside Beersheba City Hall demanding the dismissal of Deputy Mayor Shimon Tubul, who was accused last week of assaulting two young men at a gas station after they played Arabic music loudly. In response to concerns over potential violence, Mayor Rubik Danilovich ordered the city council meeting to be closed to the public, despite council meetings usually being open. The meeting was held inside the city hall building where council members discussed the city’s policy regarding Tubul.

Some council members criticized Danilovich’s decision, arguing that the closure should have been decided by the council itself rather than the mayor. Danilovich defended the move, citing the need to maintain public order and safety. The agenda item calling for Tubul’s dismissal was introduced by council members Ido Atias and Timor Michaeli. Atias publicly demanded Tubul’s removal, stating it was unacceptable for someone facing a criminal assault investigation to hold a senior municipal position, emphasizing the city’s zero-tolerance policy on violence.

Prior to the meeting, Atias urged the public to attend both the council session and a protest that began earlier. Activists circulated flyers comparing Tubul to former deputy mayor Shimon Boker, who is currently running in the Likud primaries for the Negev, highlighting past violent rhetoric and calling for Tubul’s removal as well. Protesters, including Democratic Party member Avi Dabush, carried signs condemning violence within city hall and directly appealed to Mayor Danilovich to remove Tubul.

The Beersheba municipality stated that due to security concerns and the need to conduct the meeting respectfully in a hall without physical separation, the session was held without an audience. To ensure transparency, the meeting was broadcast live on the city’s official Facebook page for public access.