User:Gelbhart/Shmuel Gelbhart

Shmuel Gelbhart (born in 1945) is an Israeli architect and urban planner. He is the chairman of the Green Movement in Haifa and a former deputy mayor of Haifa.

Gelbhart immigrated from the Soviet Union in 1949 and has been a resident of Haifa since then. He graduated from the Reali School in 1963 and obtained his certification from the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at the Technion in 1971. He began his public career in the 1980s and has since been one of the leading figures in environmental struggles in the city.

Personal Life
As a student, Gelbhart was employed by a team tasked with laying down a master transportation plan for Haifa, as well as with companies involved in engineering and industrial planning. He participated in projects both in Israel and abroad.

After completing his studies in 1971, he served for two years as the chief architect at the Schlinger-Rappaport firm. In 1974, he opened an independent architectural office, which operated until 2003, the year he took on the engineering portfolio in Haifa’s municipality due to his position on the list of Mayor Yona Yahav and as part of the agreements between them. He worked in a variety of construction fields, including planning residential neighborhoods, public buildings, industrial and commercial facilities, master and outline plans, and more. Additionally, he served as a member of the institutions of the Architects and Engineers Association, as a director in the Engineers’ Knowledge Fund, and as a member of the Northern District Planning and Building Committee.

Since 1975, he has also been a member of the public planning committee, which later became the 'Association for Quality Planning and Development in Haifa.'

Public and Political Activity
Gelbhart led public activities and campaigns in three main areas: environmental quality, social quality, and governance quality. In addition, he served as a lecturer and published numerous articles on the subjects he dealt with and on professional topics.

In 1996, Gelbhart founded the 'Haifa Connection' movement, which later became 'The Greens of Haifa.' In 1998, he led a joint list of 'The Greens' and 'Shinui' under the name 'Our Haifa' for the municipal elections, and was its candidate for mayor. The list won 4 seats on the city council, becoming the second-largest faction, and was the surprise of the election. As the chairman of Our Haifa, Gelbhart led the city’s opposition for 5 years.

In 2003, Gelbhart joined forces with Yona Yahav in a joint list named 'Our Haifa,' which included 'The Greens,' 'Shinui,' and neighborhood representatives, this time as number 2 on the list, with Yona Yahav in the first position. Following their victory, Gelbhart was appointed as the deputy mayor and head of the Engineering Administration. Additionally, he led the Subcommittee for Planning and Building, the Committee for the Preservation of Buildings and Sites, the Environmental Quality Committee, and the Committee for Disabled Accessibility. He coordinated the Earthquake Preparedness Committee and sat on the Hazardous Materials Committee. He also served as a director in the city's tourism association and represented Haifa in regional and national planning committees, as well as in the National Committee for Coastal Environment Protection.

As Yahav's deputy, Gelbhart was behind the removal of polluting industrial areas from Haifa, and some attribute a significant part of the business exodus from Haifa to him to this day. Gelbhart was a member of the steering committees for the national master plans for Haifa Bay and the coasts, the Kishon Park plan, and the new master plan for Haifa. During his tenure, Gelbhart mainly focused on halting projects initiated by Yahav’s predecessor, Amram Mitzna, including hindering the rehabilitation of Bat Galim and canceling the construction of the marina. Experts believe that the alliance between Yahav and Gelbhart was the key factor that led to Yahav's victory and his ongoing tenure as mayor.

In 2008, he ran again for the city council, but this time as the head of a separate list, "The Greens of Haifa," following Yahav's candidacy at the head of an independent list supported by "Kadima." Galbhart received only three percent of the votes. His faction, however, won about 10 percent and gained three seats on the city council, making it the second largest faction in the council.

Gelbhart was involved in campaigns to preserve Haifa’s beaches, culminating in the fight against construction on the western city's beaches, reducing air pollution, and removing hazardous materials from Haifa Bay. He worked towards the revitalization of the city center and the promotion of public transportation. He was among the activists advocating for the preservation of green spaces and opposed large-scale construction projects. Since 2011, he has been a member of the leadership of the Green Movement.

In 2010, it was reported in Haaretz that Gelbhart was allegedly involved in building violations committed by his son while he was in charge of the Engineering Administration in 2004. However, an investigation conducted by the city’s comptroller found that there was no misconduct on Gelbhart's part.

In 2019, his book 'Kippur 73' was published, addressing the warning failure and the unsuccessful counterattack during the Yom Kippur War. Former Chief of Staff and Minister of Defense, Mr. Moshe 'Bogie' Ya'alon, wrote in the introduction to the book: 'This is a must-read for any statesman or military leader who is responsible for making decisions in the political-security-military field in general, and particularly at the top echelons of the State of Israel.'