Even before building anything incoming Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat is already demolishing. Dismantling of the Bridge of Strings was one of his first announcements.
First of all, in principle, it is a good idea to wait before making such pronouncements. Even if you made comments of this kind during the election campaign, you ought to study the issue a bit before making a decision; not only with regard to a specific project, but in general about the dynamics of the management and building of a city.
When I saw the bridge for the first time, I was greatly impressed. Suddenly, in the midst of all the beautiful, but somewhat oppressive, Jerusalem stone of the rather dreary buildings, shines something different, modern, and interesting.
What does Barkat have against the bridge? "The poorest city in Israel should invest money in education, culture, and cleanliness, not bridges."
It's a nice thought, but not always a correct one. We heard this argument about the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, the Rabinovich Park, and just about every other large public project. Obviously, there are always causes that need financing, but great projects give a city its soul, and a city without a soul is only a collection of buildings.
Projects like the Bridge of Strings become symbols of a city, in the same was as the Sydney Opera House, the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, and many others. Jerusalem's best known symbol is the Western Wall, but it links the city to its past. The Bridge of Strings symbolizes optimism, progress, and vision - it links Jerusalem to the future. And who needs a future more than Jerusalem?
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 13, 2008
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