A meeting was held on Monday, 27 Teves 5774 with attorney Yaakov Weinrott and representatives of chareidi parties to discuss the Jerusalem District Court decision to disqualify the municipal elections in Beit Shemesh and order new elections.

Beit Shemesh Mayor Rav Moshe Abutbul said that he is confident that if reelections are held he would be reelected just as he was in the election but nevertheless, everything possible should be done to prevent reelections.

Weinrott, a prominent high profile attorney in Israel feels there is a good chance of emerging successful in an appeal and the decision was made, unanimously, to file an appeal with the Supreme Court.

Abutbul explained that it more than the election at stake here, for he feels the court’s ruling says “anyone who is chareidi or branded a zealot is assumed to be dishonest from the get go.” Abutbul feels the court’s ruling is a blemish on the entire chareidi tzibur and everything possible must be done to overturn that ruling.

Taking part in the meeting were representatives of Shas and Yahadut Hatorah in Knesset and on the local level, representatives from Beit Shemesh.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)