The most heated discussion to take place in the Jerusalem municipal council in the past five years ended inconclusively just before midnight tonight with a 10 to 10 tie vote on a proposal to ban mixed bathing in the new pool in Jerusalem.
The Agudas Israel, National Religious Party, Herut and General Zionists united to demand a legislative ban but were held off by the Labor parties. During the debate, Mapai Mayor Gershon Agron suggested that the municipality recommend to the management of the pool–now a Mapai-sponsored group of kibbutzim–that special days be set aside during the week for men and for women separately so that Orthodox Jews could use the pool at such times. Other days, however, he would leave for mixed bathing.
In the course of the debate, one opposition councillor admitted that mixed bathing was permitted at the Mizrachi-sponsored Kibbutz Tirat Zvi. However, he insisted that Jerusalem’s special status must be observed, else Jerusalem “will lose its special place in the eyes of the world.”
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