Beit Shemesh Mayor Rav Moshe Abutbul, who is seeking reelection, is facing a formidable challenge to his chareidi candidacy. The dati leumi camp has decided to awaken the waning Zionist population of that city, hoping to unseat the Shas-affiliated mayor. There are approximately 2,500 registered dati leumi voters in that city.
A seasoned politician, Mayor Abutbul is not about to give up on the dati leumi vote and he has formed a team to run a campaign directed specifically at that tzibur. The mayor has tapped Moti Ovadia to head that effort. Ovadia in the past worked for dati leumi MKs Nissim Slomiansky and Zevulun Orlev, so he is well acquainted with that population.
It is reported that of late Abutbul has met with the head of the Bayit Yehudi party in Beit Shemesh as well as with party members, hoping to find a formula for cooperation ahead of the municipal election. Abutbul announced he is extending an outstretched arm to the dati leumi representatives in the hope of beginning a policy of true cooperation in the city.
For Bayit Yehudi, Beit Shemesh has been marked as one of the critical local elections, with the party hoping to take control away from the chareidi incumbent. Bayit Leumi leaders are not interested in cooperating with Abutbul, but prefer to concentrate their efforts on replacing him.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Wow he has chutzpah! He was nowhere to be found when the dati leumi girls could not go to school and now he wants the dati leumi vote. Dov Lipman was thrust into power because the current mayor was totally asleep at the wheel.
They don’t stand a chance. Bennet’s being quite foolish for pumping in so much money into Aliza Bloch’s campaign. A dati leumi lady, to run for mayor in a predominantly chareidi city? Gimme a break!
besides, rena Hollander (a dati leumi advocate) has already aligned herself with Eli Cohen.
so let all these non-chareidi candidates (and throw Meir bleisch into the ring too) split the d”l votes, and let r’ moishe cruise to re-election, iy”h
Nowhere to be found !!??#@
He gave the building to the dati leumi instead of giving it to the charedim. That is what the chassidim were protesting! And besides…. No one w was stopped from getting too school
“2,500 Dati Leumi voters in Beit Shemesh” – really???? Perhaps 2,500 registered members of Bayit Yehudi, but there are many, many more than 2,500 voters in Beit Shemesh that identify as Dati Leumi. There are also a very significant number of American Chareidim that are fed up with Abutbul and would be happy to vote for someone else.
#2 – there is an agreement between Aliza Bloch and Eli Cohen that they’ll do a survey in a few weeks, and whichever of them is trailing at that point will pull out and support the other – so they do have a chance.
# 3 chilled – yes, he was nowhere to be found. He did not “give” the building to Dati Leumi – the land, which borders three Dati Leumi neighborhoods (and one Chareidi one) was assigned to the school well before Abutbul was in office, and the office then built the building on their own, custom-building it to their requirements. Abutbul then tried to force them to give it up to a Chareidi school, and only backed down when everything blew up in public. Abutbul might personally be a nice guy, but he’s been a panderer to the worst extremists as mayor – and he now has some Chutzpa asking the Dati Leumi to support him.
an Israeli Yid
wow yitzchok2 you are either missing information or purposely ignoring it! lipman and lapid stirred up a dying down controversy which was being quietly resolved for their own political motives. lipman (who was nearly Not elected by being put in the bottom of the barrel of yesh atid) partnered up with lapid for his own ulterior motives. Abutbul was by no means “asleep at the wheel”.
Yasher Koach Mayor Rav Moshe Abutbul for standing up for Kavod HaTorah and constantly doing the right thing in Beit Shemesh.
Mayor Rav Moshe Abutbul is almost a shoe-in for re-election considering the very strong majority Chareidim have over non-Chareidim in Beit Shemesh.
yael.e and Doc – I’m not sure what alternate universe you’ve been in, but here are some facts:
1. The controversy was NOT dying down at the time Dov got involved – there were regular protests, including screaming at the students and their parents – going on outside the school in question at the time. Dov was one of those who arranged for the girls in the school – nice, Frum girls – to be escorted past the rabble who were protesting. Dov had NO AFFILIATION WHATSOEVER with Yair Lapid or Yesh Atid (which did not even exist then) at the time.
2. Dov did not expect to be elected – you are right on that point. Dov got involved to have political influence, and by his election, succeeded well beyond his expectations.
3. You are also right that Abutbul was not asleep at the wheel – that would presume that he was taken by surprise and failed to react to the situation. Abutbul was actually quite aware of the situation, and deliberately decided NOT to act to rein in the rioters, as he was pandering to them. You refute purported assertions of incompetence; I allege actual malice.
Doc – to your points:
4. Moshe Abutbul stands up for his political supporters, regardless as to what’s right. There are others in Beit Shemesh – whether or not Shomrei Torah uMitzvos – who he does not hesitate to ignore when he deems it expedient. Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof applies to everyone – including Mayors.
5. Beit Shemesh does NOT have a majority of Chareidim. Abutbul won last time since he had the support of the traditional Moroccan community, which respect Rav Ovadia and generally vote Shas, as well as the Ashkenazi Chareidi parties. At this time, many of the traditional Shas voters are quite disappointed with the direction of the city, and if there is a sufficiently attractive alternate candidate, may well vote for him or her. As such, Abutbul is not assured of re-election.
an Israeli Yid (and Beit Shemesh resident)