Carmel Shama-Hacohen sparks online firestorm: "On the credit card topic again"
Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen celebrated his 53rd birthday amidst a new online controversy, while revealing he is set to undergo a complex medical procedure at Sheba Hospital for the second time in six months.
The Mayor of Ramat Gan, Carmel Shama-Hacohen, celebrated his 53rd birthday yesterday (Sunday), but instead of quiet and heartfelt wishes, the event quickly escalated into an online storm and a personal medical drama.
The drama began when Shama-Hacohen posted on Facebook: "Take the credit card and buy whatever you want. Vered is not only perfect but also generous with all her heart. Thanks to my 53rd birthday, I earned a break from work and quality time with Vered, and that is the real celebration."
Users were quick to identify the clear allusion to a previous incident, and cynical reactions followed: "Bad joke" and "On the credit card topic again," alongside supportive comments like "Keep it up" and "There is no one like you."
The criticism stems from a previous post where the mayor wrote that he told his wife, "My credit card is at your disposal today," and complimented her for returning with only perfume and clothes, adding that "there is no one more modest and kind-hearted than her." That text sparked widespread outrage and claims of chauvinism and paternalism. Social activist Yael Yechieli published a sharp post on "Statusim Metzaizim," criticizing the perception that a mayor "gives" his wife his card and labels her "modest." Shama-Hacohen retorted, "Start with the fact that you are condescending and mean-spirited," and updated the original post to clarify that his wife has her own accounts and cards.
The choice to reuse the credit card motif in his birthday post proved the subject remains an open wound and reignited public discourse surrounding his communication style.
Parallel to the online storm, the mayor revealed that immediately after his birthday, he will be hospitalized at Sheba Hospital to undergo surgery to remove a tumor from his left kidney. This is his second such surgery in six months, following the removal of a tumor from his right kidney. Shama-Hacohen explained that the current tumor was discovered after a re-interpretation of old tests, but the surgery was postponed due to the fighting against Iran and his mother's deteriorating health. Shama-Hacohen sought to reassure residents:
"I am not in life-threatening danger and I am not a severely ill patient."
He is expected to recover within two to three weeks and gradually return to his duties.
