As Yerushalayim and other cities around Israel prepare for municipal elections, to be held after the Tishrei Yomim Tovim, many in the chareidi community question if the lessons of the last Jerusalem mayoral election were learned.

To remind readers, the opposition to Meir Porush’s (Shlomei Emunim faction) candidacy by Yaakov Litzman (Gur – Central faction) led to Porush’s defeat and the election of Nir Barkat, with the incumbent now seeking a second term.

The rivalry that existed in that last election in the capital exists today in the Elad election. YWN-ISRAEL last week reported that the two leading candidates, Sruly Porush and Tzvika Cohen are head-to-head in the race.

In this case, Shas is trying to maintain control of the city while Porush’s candidacy is viewed as a Shlomei Emunim play to take control of the city, a victory that would also give Degel Hatorah a position of increased influence in the city.

This being the case, what was not reported is that behind the scenes as Porush and Shas’ candidate seek to win addition support, the old rivals are at it – Shlomei Emunim and Gur (Central faction). Journalist Yaakov Rivlin has reported that a very senior official in the central faction has been working with someone in the Meuchedet faction to close a deal supporting the Sephardi Shas candidate, and not Porush, the Ashkenazi candidate.

Some question just what Gur’s interest is in the city in this or the last election, since the chassidus does not have a tzibur in Betar .

Boyan on the other hand, which has a sizable tzibur in the city, has viewed itself having a right to decide, and in the last election the chassidus went with Yitzchak Pindrus (Degel Hatorah) as its candidate for mayor. Porush was not pleased and he enlisted the other chassidus’ in the city and presented his own coalition, pushing the candidacy of Meir Rubinstein. This led to a crisis in Agudas Yisrael since the Central faction aligned with Boyan and the litvish candidate, Pindrus.

It appears the same is taking place today in the upcoming election in Elad, albeit with different players. It now appears that Sruly Porush is being backed by the litvish and chassidish Ashkenazi factions while Tzvika Cohen is backed by Shas, with the latter enjoying a considerable power base in Elad. Last week, the Central faction, in this case Vishnitz, announced it would back the Shas candidate, not Porush, Rivlin reported. It should be pointed out that the Central faction is not represented in the city, but what is taking places appears to be a continuation of the Porush/Litzman battle.

Some feel the ongoing rivalry between the factions jeopardizes the future of Agudas Yisrael.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)