Bali Street
Photo: Ido Erez
From mayor's lover to Iron Lady
Bali St. in Or Yehuda, famously named after the previous mayor's lover, is to be renamed Golda Meir St.; other streets named without citizen consultation will also be renamed in the coming months.
Bali Street in Or Yehuda became one of the country's most famous roads last year when it came to light that "Bali" was the nickname for former Mayor David Yosef's lover. Now the Municipal Names Committee is recommending renaming it "Golda Meir Street" after the late famous prime minister.
The change will take place in another two months, in conjunction with the changing of many other odonyms in the city that were illegally chosen without the residents' participation.
Golda Meir (Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO)
For example, Gabi Ashkenazi Street (named after the former IDF chief of staff) will become Yitzhak Shamir Street (in honor of the late former prime minister). Gideon Sa'ar Street (named after the former government minister) will return to its original name, Hahagana ("Defense") Street. Arik Einstein Street (named after the late singer) will return to its original name of Yahadut Canada ("Canadian Jewry") Street.
The expected changes came up during a city council meeting, and they will have added legitimacy once the Names Committee publishes its recommendations. Said the new mayor, Liat Shohat, "From the moment that I took office, I announced that the matter of street names would be looked into thoroughly. It's important for us to hear from the residents and take the decision together with them so they will also be collaborators on the matter."
