Jerusalem mayoral candidate Moshe Leon’s team stated that leading dati leumi posek Rabbi Shlomo Aviner Shlita does not endorse Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. Barkat is the candidate of the dati leumi community and therefore, Leon’s words came as a surprise to many for he is the chareidi candidate.
In fact, it was not Leon himself who made the remark but the number four person on his team, Alisha Peleg, in remarks to Kol Chai Radio. Peleg told the chareidi radio that to the best of his knowledge; Rav Aviner has done a total turnaround and no longer backs Barkat.
It did not take more than a few minutes until host Goel Vaknin read Rav Aviner’s response on the air. “We understand the Leon is extremely pressured regarding the race as dozens of senior dati leumi rabbonim from all factions of the community have voiced their support for Barkat as a result of the long standing relationship with him over the years. This however is not a reason to lie outright and to degrade the rabbonim for one’s own political gain by misleading the public. This is a direct continuation of the school of deal-making of Aryeh Deri and Avigdor Lieberman from which Leon comes. Jerusalem residents do not wish to return to the dark days in which such deal-making ran the city.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Deal making is an accurate expression for these nonsensical statements..
To set record straight:
Barkat Wants a more or less a Secular city
Leon wants a traditional city
Who would you support?
Now we have little to gain (and some to lose)from supporting Leon besides more of the public keeping tradition
So how as usual do the chips fall?
The chareidim will go with Leon
The ‘pious’ dati leumi and Gerrers will go with Barkat
(Sick politics by the Gerrers is okay ,with barely media & DL mention..)
In other Words,
The more chareidim (almost always)are being denounced by secular and DL media,there is some possible positive going to happen
When/if there being treated as chums,sad …
if I want deal making I would have voted for Meir Porush.
ugh
A THOUGHT, there is huge support for Nir Barkat by many Charedim particularly Anglos, since Leon signed a deal with SHAS, he turned his back on others.
Barkat does not want a secular city rather a well-run city for Jerusalem residents…