Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat on Monday 26 Tishrei spoke with Kol Berama Radio’s Mordechai Lavi regarding the Jerusalem Chief Rabbinate elections set for Tuesday 27 Tishrei.

Lavi began by lauding the mayor’s victory, “bringing the chareidim to their knees in your masterful power play with Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett”.

Not wishing to brazenly wave his success in the face of the chareidi community on the air, the mayor played down the alleged power play, however admittedly pleased with the fact that it appears Rabbi Aryeh Stern Shlita and Rabbi Shlomo Amar Shlita will become the next Chief Rabbis of Yerushalayim. The mayor expressed cautious optimism, reminding listeners “it is not over until the voters have spoken”.

Barkat stressed “I am not motivated by my own personal life style or preferences, but by what I view as being best for my city and its residents”. Barkat insists that one of the rabbonim must be dati leumi and the second chareidi towards uniting the city and towards achieving broad-based support for the city’s rabbinate. He stated one of the rabbonim must be absolutely dati leumi to gain as much support as possible, and this is the case regarding Rabbi Aryeh Stern Shlita.

When asked how he “threw Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu under the bus” by Lavi, the mayor made a point of stressing the “warm friendship” he enjoys with Rabbi Eliyahu, adding he openly backed his candidacy in his bid to become the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel. “I spoke with Rabbi Eliyahu before he announced his candidacy and after, but I do not believe that it would be proper to change my endorsement at the last moment, which was the case here”.

Lavi pointed out that Barkat and Bennett masterfully changed the voter body so that the 48 men and women with a right to vote by and large represent people of similar minds and hashkafa to their world viewpoint. Hence, their candidates are all but guaranteed a victory. He also mentioned the mayor’s successful appeals to the Supreme Court towards accomplishing this goal.

Lavi’s contents Shas’ last-minute decision to publically announce its support for Rabbi Amar represents a double victory; getting a chareidi party to back his candidate and bringing Shas to its knees, publically backing Rabbi Amar. “Only when party leaders finally realized they are compelled to come on board since he is likely to win was the statement released”. Clearly if Rav Amar wins and Shas remained silent the chareidi Sephardi party would sustain another major political blow.

Lavi did point out that many still believe Shas’ announced backing of Rabbi Amar is a media stunt and nothing more, and the outcome is likely to tell another story since it is a secret ballot.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)