“Since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, I have served in the reserves for over 230 days in the various sectors, first in the north, then in Gaza in the Netzer and Rafah area, and last month we finished a month and a half operational employment in the Ios. During the service, I felt a tremendous sense of responsibility and mission in the defense of the country, like many of my friends in the reserve battalion ‘Bari Battalion’, to which I belong today, which consists of veterans of elite units who mostly passed the age of exemption, and volunteered to serve in the army during one of the most challenging times the country has known.”
Guy is 41 years old, has lived in Tel Aviv for about 15 years. He is a native of the city and grew up in the United States and in Ramat Hasharon where his mother served as deputy mayor. From a young age to the present day he was involved in sports, mainly tennis and basketball, and dreamed of serving in an elite unit in the army. for the fight against terrorism (LoTr) in the Adam facility and towards the end of the service he moved to the Dovdevan unit.
Guy serves as a council member of the ‘Free Tel Aviv’ faction, on behalf of Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu, he holds the social services portfolio, the immigration and absorption portfolio, MM holds the security portfolio, and serves as the municipality’s representative in the field of government relations.
You are completing over 230 reserve days, is it possible to break the stigma about Tel Avivians drinking espresso in the war?
Certainly, this stigma has been completely debunked. It has been clearly proven that Tel Avivians are at the top of the burden. The recruitment rates for the reserves within the Iron Swords were among the highest in Israel, 9th among all cities in Israel. The cumulative number of reserve days of the city’s residents in 2023 was over 2.2 million reserve days, with approximately 8.5% of the army reserve officers living in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the highest percentage of all the cities in Israel. Our city, and I even knew some of them personally. It is important that the whole country knows that there are valuable people who live here in Tel Aviv, the first Hebrew city. Zionists, male and female fighters who sanctify the love of the land – and any statement of one kind or another about ‘separation’ or ‘bubble’ simply sin against the truth, divisive and out of place.
What did you learn about yourself and the Israelis who were with you in the war?
Beyond all the well-known clichés, which are true by the way, about the fact that Israel is home to extraordinary people, who are willing to go out of their way for the country, I learned that there is more common than different, and that the brotherhood of fighters is stronger than any personal considerations or politics. When fighting, no one is interested in right or left, religious or secular, everyone joins the common task. I am the commander of a new team of LOT graduates, most of whom I did not know at all in the regular service, and I was amazed at how quickly we came together, bonded and created a team character. I trust them and love them one by one, and it moves me to know that they are always there for me, as I am there for them.
You are a young councilor on behalf of Avigdor Lieberman’s Israel Beitenu, maybe it’s time to smash another stigma on this party?
The stigmas about the party were shattered a long time ago. The Israel Beitenu party is an amazing party, which is today deep within the Israeli consensus, and this is clearly seen in the latest polls that predict great success for the party in the next elections. The party super principle of ‘live and let live’ is a candle to my feet, similar to the fight for equality in the burden that the party promotes. We have excellent MKs, diligent representatives in the local authorities and of course the chairman of the party who in my opinion is the most suitable to lead the country at this time. The party is well organized and managed, and as time goes by I discover more and more great people who make up the party mosaic, and glorious activities that the party initiates. I am really happy and proud to note above all that I am the representative of Israel in our country, and I predict that among Tel Aviv-Jaffa voters, and in general, we will have great success in the next elections.
On the political level, you are part of the group that ran against Huldai in the elections together with Orna Barbibai, and after the elections you chose to connect with Huldai, why not stay in the opposition and be the critical voice?
We chose to be on the side of action and not on the side that criticizes action. We joined the coalition of an experienced and Ehud mayor, who sees us as partners. We thought that our electorate deserves that we work for them, bring achievements and improve the quality of life in Tel Aviv-Yafo. It is very difficult to influence and change from the opposition, and I am convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt that we made the right decision.
After the elections, you entered Ron Huldai’s coalition, and took on several areas of responsibility, including social services, and immigration and absorption. Why did you choose them and what do you intend to do in the coming term?
I chose to focus specifically on these areas because these are important core issues that greatly influence the character of the city. As a social services manager, we also come into direct contact with less pleasant sides of the city and take care of, among other things, the painful phenomenon of street urchins. We are trying on the one hand to reduce the phenomenon, and on the other hand to provide help to those people whose fate has not improved them.
In the administration, we also promote the provision of support to reservists, something that is definitely at the top of my mind, and we work to hold support groups alongside benefits and special events in recognition of the servicemen.
Aliyah and absorption in my eyes is the embodiment of Zionism, Tel Aviv-Jaffa is a leader in the absorption of new immigrants, and the municipality operates an authority for the absorption of aliyah that offers a wide range of services to the new immigrant who arrives in the city.
We are working to make the 106 + and ‘digital’ services available in additional languages besides Hebrew, to translate the municipality’s website into additional languages, and the highlight of which I am working these days – the establishment of an “immigrant home” for new immigrants and lone soldiers in the city center, which will be a meeting and gathering place where they can enjoy themselves From cultural events, listening to lectures, playing music, learning Hebrew, eating Friday meals and meeting people who guide people for employment and solving obstacles bureaucratic. I hope that this house will be attractive enough to also attract locals who will want to meet and help the immigrants and the lonely soldiers.
The personal security of the residents has become a very central issue since the war period. It is often raised by residents that there is a need for additional mobility and armed security guards on the streets. Is there such a program?
unequivocally. We are working to increase the SLA Division (Urban Security Patrol) and are allocating many resources to this end. The ambition is to increase the number of armed patrols, and I personally am even in favor of expanding their powers so that they can carry out the tasks assigned to them more effectively. We must remember that those who are trusted in the head And first of all, the law enforcement and public order is the police, which is responsible for providing us with personal security. The council recently approved an increase in the security levy In property taxes precisely with the aim of strengthening personal security in a place where the police are not successful.
Personal security is the cornerstone of all of our lives. First and foremost, we need to take care of proper protection against missiles, especially for the residents of the south of the city. In addition, we need to completely eradicate the phenomena of crime and violence in the public sphere. Crime rates, especially theft of property, vehicles and bicycles, as well as personal belongings on the beaches must drop drastically. We want the residents of the city to walk on safe streets and for their property to be protected.
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