2:41 PM IL: The Jerusalem District Court a short time ago announced its decision in the case challenging the municipal elections in Beit Shemesh. The court ruled that in light of the evidence alleging corruption on Election Day, a second election for mayor and the city council will be held. The court disqualified the outcome of the election, which placed the incumbent, Mayor Rabbi Moshe Abutbul back in office for a second term. His reelection was challenged by many, including opponent Eli Cohen. One of the petitioners against the election outcome was Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, who was persuaded to file the appeal after reviewing police evidence in the case.
Police raided apartments in the Nachlah U’Menuchah neighborhood of the city on Election Day and confiscated identity cards, disguises, and other evidence. A number of people were arrested and the investigation documented fraudulent voting. Adding to the evidence is the fact that the election was won by only 956 votes. Cohen and his supporters feel that if a second election is held he will emerge the victor, not Abutbul.
Abutbul told the press prior to the court’s ruling that he remains confident that if there is another election he will once again emerge victorious, discarding allegations that his victory was the result of election fraud. (YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
As expected from the anti-chareidi court in an anti-chareidi state as per Bennett’s insistence.
“including opponent Eli Cohen. One of the petitioners against the election outcome was Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, who was persuaded to file the appeal after reviewing police evidence in the case.” obviously, who else but them?
The silence of all the fraud and corruption from Cohen’s members is deafening.
If Abutbul would have won without cheating and fraud, nobody would be complaining
May Hashem protect us from the onslaught of loshon hara and sinas chinam.
🙂 May the best man “really” win! You can spend all your life pointing fingers either way. However there is only one way for the truth to surface and that is to have an honest re-election. The question is “is that even possible in such a corrupt sinas chinam city” . I don’t pretend to know the answer . But one thing I do know, that is, if this city (country as well) does not get its act together we are all DONE!!!!
They should not have a new elections as iamdisgusted is correct it is impossible to have a honest election in Beit shemesh. The only answer is what has been proposed before- divide the city in two.
#2
You want to buy a bridge ? Make it two bridges
Does anyone remember what they were saying about/against the charedim and Abotbul for months BEFORE the election?
I don’t mean to say anything bad against Abutbul. I don’t know who he is or what his policies are, nor do I need to know. All I know is that he won last election fair and square and nobody complained. The non-Chareidi in the city accepted that he was the victor, whether or not they liked that. This time around however, it was discovered that there was serious cheating by unnamed people and that it’s possible that this affected the outcome of the elections. If he wins this time around with a fair election, I don’t think they will protest about the results (due to fraud. They might protest that they don’t like the results, but that doesn’t matter, we always have unhappy people in democracy.)