Jerusalem mayor orders civil suits against haredim

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat instructed the city's legal counsel to file civil lawsuits against ultra-Orthodox residents following the violent haredi riots in the capital. Last week the mayor suspended

 all municipal services to the haredi neighborhoods Geula and Mea Shearim in light of the protests.

After a particularly stormy and violent week, the city's treasury department estimated that the damages caused in the riots amounted to several million shekels.

Consequently the city decided to file suits against those the police have evidence had been involved in acts of vandalism.

During the riots, municipal vehicles were damaged, some 250 dumpsters were set on fire, close to 70 traffic lights were smashed, and traffic cameras were also damaged.

However, not all City Council members approved of Barkat's move. "I advise the mayor that before asking the legal counsel to file suits he should make an effort to fix and clean everything that needs fixing and cleaning," council member Shmuel Yitzhaki from Shas told Ynet.

"As far as I know, until now the garbage and the stench are still covering several neighborhoods. I think that the mayor's way of handling this is wrong. Clearly I'm opposed to violence, but this matter should be addressed differently," he added.