Municipal elections are set for 18 Marcheshvan 5774, Tuesday, October 22nd. In a number of municipalities the chareidim are divided and this will most likely result in benefiting non-chareidi candidates as the frum vote is divided.
There is a significant split in Beit Shemesh and undoubtedly, the tzibur will pay the price following elections. There are three lists, including; Agudas Yisrael (Gimmel), which includes the large chassidish communities including Belz, Gur and Vishnitz. The other lists are Shlomei Emunim and Degel Hatorah.
Efforts to merge Shlomei Emunim and Degel Hatorah failed and therefore, the lists will be competing with one another instead of launching a united campaign under a joint chareidi list.
In a move that surprised some/many, Degel Hatorah added its name to the letter from MK Meir Porush to the election committee in which he requested prohibiting the use of the letter gimmel from the Agudas Yisrael list. The requested was denied and the gimmel was authorized.
Leading the city’s Shas list is the incumbent, Mayor Moshe Abutbul. Despite growing support for nonreligious candidate Eli Cohen, and the presence of an English speaker on the Tov party list, the Abutbul camp remains optimistic that the Shas-affiliated mayor will be reelected.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
There is a significant split in Beit Shemesh and undoubtedly, the tzibur will pay the price following elections. –
The tzibur will benefit tremendously with a NEW MAYOR who is attentive to the city as a whole. We do not live as a splintered group in one section of the city, our needs are meshed with the needs of ALL RESIDENTS.
“Degel Hatorah added its name to the letter from MK Meir Porush to the election committee in which he requested prohibiting the use of the letter gimmel from the Agudas Yisrael list.”
Can someone translate this to English?
Beit Shemesh is currently a city that is falling apart – repairs in the poorer sections have not been done in years, people are living in squalor, and there is trash everywhere. It’s time for a new administration to take over!
There ARE other religious parties running. For example TOV. People ought ask themselves why the larger Haredi party broke into 3. Was it an argument over how to best fund the local yeshivos? Not really. it was all about jobs & kavod. We deserve better.
Why is TOV
not mentioned ?
Is this an objective article
Or a target spin .
I am trying very hard to understand this article, and can’t figure it out. Either the writer has a poor grasp of Beit Shemesh politics, a poor grasp of English, or both.
The last sentence is particularly bizarre. “. . .and the presence of an English speaker on the Tov party list. . .” What does that have to do with whether Abutbul will be reelected? Tov actually endorses Abutbul, so why would it be damaging to him if Tov is attracting English speakers (which it is because of it’s ideology as “new Chareidim” not based on the language spoken by those on it’s list!)
The splintered Chareidi parties will affect representation in the city council — but shouldn’t change the mayoral election as all the Chareidi parties are behind Abutbul, despite each running their own list for the city council. (And BTW there are more than just the 3 you listed)
#6 Mully – not sure where you get that Tov supports Abutbul. To date, they’ve not come out publicly one way or the other, but based on the noises I’m hearing from both local party activists and heads of the national Tov organization, they’re leaning toward coming out for Eli Cohen.
an Israeli Yid