Jerusalem Elections are getting closer: Here is a roundup of Municipal elections

Where do you live?

Yossi Havilio lives in Ramat Sharett but owns a property in Moshav Ora. Someone may have been confused or perhaps thought that this was an opportunity to get even with Havilio, whose mayoral campaign isn’t going so well. Be that as it may, the sign hung on a fence in Ora, congratulating him and his backers on behalf of the residents of Ora, infuriated him and his supporters.

The Havilio-led Jerusalem Union’s mission is to “return the moderate and decent majority to the city council;” to make sure that Jerusalem remains Israeli and does not become a messianic city; and to ensure that Jerusalem remains a liberal city which affords every sector the security, the ability, and the independence to live as they desire, and in accordance with their worldview.

Let’s split

Drama gripped the city last Thursday when, at the last moment, as the lists for the city council were about to close, right-wingers Arieh King and Yonatan Yosef decided to run separately.

King now leads Meuchadim, along with the right-wing chairman of the community administration Yuval Dor Levi, who was previously connected to the Jewish Home.

Yosef is now at the top of the list of Jerusalem of Gold. He is the grandson of the late Rav Ovadia Yosef and is supported by Rabbi Mazuz, one of the Council of Sages of the Shas movement. However, as Yosef submitted the list late and without all the necessary documents, the directorate of the election committee at the Jerusalem Municipality did not accept the forms. Consequently, Yosef has petitioned the court on the issue, and the hearing is expected to take place after Yom Kippur.

Dor Yitzhak Levy is chairman of the Yuvalim community administration. He temporarily left his position in order to join King’s list. In a letter sent to the members of the Yuvalim community administration, he explained: “After much thought and consideration, and out of a desire to be involved in the most meaningful way possible in the work and promotion of our beloved city, I decided to run for the city council on the United list, led by Deputy Mayor Arieh King, as candidate number two on the list.”

After him on the list are: 

Deborah Seror Politis, an attorney who specializes in international law, and is expected to represent the new immigrant population;

Rabbi David Levy, 45, father of six, resident of the Kiryat Menachem neighborhood, social activist, educator, and youth worker;

Aharon Rahamim, 39, married, with eight children, lives in Kiryat Hayovel, King’s personal assistant in the past term; and

Tal Yushobiev, the only Jewish resident in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

The Lion runs 

One Jerusalem – Mayor Moshe Lion was the first to present his list last Thursday. On Lion’s list, 50% are women, three of whom are in the first five: Number two – Ronit Ahdut HaCohen-Hodjiev; number four – chairman of the Market Merchants Committee Tali Friedman; and number five – Naama Berg, owner of Psagot Winery and curator of the Natural History Museum.

In third place is Ofer Ayoubi, former chairman of the Gila Community Administration, who until recently served as the mayor’s senior adviser. A surprise was registered toward the end of the list. In 15th place, which is usually reserved for dignitaries, councilwoman Fleur Hasan Nahum. The list ends with former state comptroller Yosef Shapira. The One Jerusalem faction points out that “the letters chosen for the list are the letters that accompanied the mythological ‘One Jerusalem led by Teddy Kollek’ list.”

Kodem Yerushalayim 

This new faction headed by Alon Levy submitted its list, with the goal of abandoning politics and dealing only with the local affairs of Jerusalem. Therefore, the first five are made up of representatives from the entire Jerusalem spectrum. They feature:

Alon Levy, a resident of Beit Hakerem, who served as a local and national journalist for six years and is active in the fields of transportation, special education, planning, and construction;

In second place, visually impaired Benny Birnzweig, resident of Har Nof, a social activist for many years in the neighborhood, active in the field of assisting the disabled and visually impaired;

In third place, Gonenim resident and one-time Jerusalem Post staff member Orit Hazon Mandel, who has been active for many years in the field of education as a member of the parents’ organization, and promotes healthy lifestyle choices in educational institutions, as well as green transportation in Jerusalem.

Hitorerut will try to repeat its success of the 2018 elections, when, although its candidate did not achieve the position of mayor, it put seven members on the city council – the largest faction ever. Since then, almost all members on its list have changed and include 29-year-old Adir Schwartz, apparently the youngest member of the council. It continues to focus on the relationships and needs of the young people in the city. After Schwartz on the list are, among others, Miryam Sela, Ariel Baziz, and Rabbi Yair Faran.

One more list running for council: Unity of Jerusalem, led by Avishay Cohen, a working haredi man who was once a member of Hitorerut. He managed to bring to his list Malka Greenblatt, a haredi woman, Its message is to promote and support the young haredi generation in the city who want to study and work while remaining part of their community.

Last but not least: Deputy Mayor Arieh King managed to obtain court approval to kill the engine on the Shabbat Bus, launched two months ago by Hitorerut. Movement head Schwartz promised the service will only be stopped until elections, adding that with voter support, his list will bring back the service for Jerusalemites without private cars. ❖