 Hi this is Daniel Rosil, welcome back to my YouTube channel which covers developments in Jerusalem and Israel. As I mentioned in my previous video, there are less than 100 days to go until municipal elections in Jerusalem. Jerusalem has special significance in Israeli politics and with debates about religious tolerance and pluralism currently before, many will be watching to see what kind of administration the city lacks in early November. A popular refrain among Israeli political observers goes something like, what happens in Jerusalem ultimately happens in the whole country. One of the early challenges to the dominance of religious parties in Jerusalem has come from the Hitora Root faction whose main manifesto is centered around creating a more religiously tolerant city which feels less oppressive to its secular and less religious residents. The Hebrew term for religious coercion is kifia datit and a large part of the work of Hitora Root and other secular activists in the city such as councilwoman Laura Wharton has been trying to undo some of this coercion. Two days ago, Hitora Root made headlines by launching a free minibus service which would run on Shabbat. This was seen as a temporary solution to the long-term lack of public transport on Shabbat in Jerusalem, confining non-religious residents who don't own cars to their homes or however far they can walk for half of every weekend. The initiative's first pilot run was a success with the list claiming that interest in the service far exceeded availability. Predictably, however, not everybody in city hall was so happy with the move. One of the move's first and most vociferous opponents is far-right councilman and deputy mayor of Jerusalem, R.E. King. The Otamaehudit Jewish Strengths Party of which Itamar Ben Gvir is the head, today gave King its official endorsement in the election. According to Ben Gvir, King has proven over the years that the only thing guiding him is loyalty to the residents of Jerusalem but I think it really depends what residents you're looking at. King is a highly controversial figure within Jerusalem and national politics who has previously endorsed so-called pay for emigration schemes which would see Palestinians offered financial inducements to encourage them to leave Israel. He is also well known for his activism in attempting to evict Palestinians from homes in East Jerusalem and replace them with Jews. Reacting to news of the hitorut miniboss, King said that he would be seeking the advice of the municipality's legal advisor on the matter, attempting to see whether it violated election-related laws. King also requested the use of a restraining order that would prevent the service from operating at all. King wasn't the only one open about his disdain for the proposed miniboss service. City Council member Yehuda Freudiger also complained through official channels to crying the operation of the miniboss as an act of extreme secularism. For more videos on the 2023 Jerusalem municipal elections and other topics please consider subscribing to this YouTube channel.