A heated city council meeting in Bnei Brak ended with a unanimous decision to step up enforcement against nighttime food vending machines after residents and educators warned that the machines are harming local youth and disrupting the city’s character.

An unusual scene unfolded during the session when a large group of mechanchim, neighborhood rabbonim, and resident representatives entered the council chamber, voicing urgent demands to halt the spread of automated food machines operating throughout the night. They argued that the machines are damaging both the spiritual atmosphere and quality of life in the city center, while also negatively influencing young people.

The discussion focused on a proposal introduced by city council member Zev Lipshitz, who raised concerns about what he described as a serious loophole on Rechov Ezra and Rechov Harav Shach. While local regulations require businesses to close by 11:00 p.m., he noted that vending machines continue operating without restriction, drawing teenagers late into the night. Lipshitz warned that the phenomenon is causing significant environmental and spiritual harm.

During the meeting, remarks were delivered by youth leaders in the city, including Rav Yisroel Roth and Rav Eliezer Zilberzweig, along with resident representative Rav Goel Turgeman. “They are destroying our lives, they are ruining our children,” one speaker cried out. The speakers described a noticeable spiritual decline around the machines, which they said have become gathering points for youth during late-night hours.

Residents presented troubling accounts of noise, filth, fear of going outside at night, and harassment affecting elderly residents. “The buildings have turned into a garbage dump,” one representative said, adding that many residents feel effectively trapped in their homes during nighttime hours.

Mayor Chanoch Zeibert expressed full support for the residents’ concerns and made clear that the municipality would act decisively. “Places that do not close after 11 at night will not operate earlier either,” he declared.

At the conclusion of the meeting, council members voted unanimously to increase enforcement immediately, with the goal of restoring quiet and preserving the city’s character in affected areas.

{Matzav.com}