Jerusalem Deputy Mayor (Bayit Yehudi) Chagit Moshe has until today been an unknown to most members of the chareidi community in Yerushalayim. However, she has suddenly become familiar to all, albeit not in a good way, due to her anti-chareidi election campaign.

Moshe is at the heart of the storm for her unacceptable election campaign in the city’s mayoral race. Her entire campaign is premised on preventing the chareidi tzibur from taking over the city, using brassy photos of some of the candidates in the race adorned with peyos and chareidi hats. She has come under attack from the candidates, chareidi MKs and perhaps most painfully, by Naftali Bennet, chairman of the party, who was quick to distance himself from her campaign, telling the media she launched it without running it by him. He expressed total and unwavering condemnation of the campaign.

In the new campaign that was unveiled on Wednesday morning in Yediot Achronot by Yael Friedson, the candidates for mayor, Ze’ev Elkin, Moshe Leon and Ofer Berkowitz are seen with chareidi garb and peyos alongside the caption: “While they are anxious for their fate, only Bayit Yehudi will block the influence of the chareidim.”

Bayit Yehudi Chairman Minister Naftali Bennet released a harsh criticism against Moshe, distancing the national party from the campaign, which he insists was launched without his knowledge. He emphasized the party’s relationship with the chareidi tzibur, rejecting any hint of hate or disdain for the chareidi tzibur, stating the party works to unite and not polarize any sector of the country, including the chareidim.

Despite the widespread condemnatory remarks against her, she refuses to apologize. She is quoted on Monday afternoon saying, “Yes, some of you are really shocked by the picture that was proposed to accompany for the campaign,” Chagit wrote, explaining that “quite the contrary. We have nothing against the chareidim. As chairman of the Finance Committee I have not discriminated against any sector, and the chareidi members [of the city council] know this better than anyone else.”

Moshe continued, opting to back her party’s Jerusalem campaign, stating, “the main question of the election campaign is what the next city council will look like … I know that most of you like us are sitting on the side quietly, and it usually comes from the same factors that ask later why the religious Zionists are dragged along instead of taking the lead?!”

“So friends, the campaign is not about the identity of the next mayor of Jerusalem, and the real battle is over the composition of the next coalition – no matter who the mayor is – Elkin, Leon or Berkowitz – each of them will be under pressure from the council. They are courting on the chareidi voice.”

At the end of her speech, she repeated the need for a coalition that is not have a majority identifying with the chareidim in the capital: “Of the 31 council members who are elected, it is very important that there be a unified and clear voice of religious Zionism that understands and responds to the size and needs of the national religious public in the city. We can ensure that Jerusalem will be the capital of all Israeli society and not of a small sector.”

Jerusalem Councilman Aryeh King, who recently announced his Meuchedet party list in the Jerusalem mayoral race, is calling on Bennet to remove Moshe from her leadership position on the party’s Jerusalem list as a result of her tasteless and offensive election campaign.

King stated he was “appalled” when he learned of the election campaign of candidate Chagit Moshe and her Bayit Yehudi party. He adds that sadly, the campaign enjoys the backing of the Ichud Leumi faction of the party as well.

“There are those who raise the concept of unity on their lips, but the venom of hatred and intimidation against Jews poison all their actions in the media and in the city. In light of the release of the campaign, in which Chagit scoffs at the chareidi garb and the sheitels, the Meuchedet party repeats the call to the Ichud Leumi faction to withdraw from the Bayit Yehudi party in the Jerusalem race and to stop being ‘machshir the sheretz’.

“The chareidi tzibur in the city is not the enemy, but rather a partner in the building of the holy city. Unfortunately, we do not see a difference between clothing of the candidates for mayor in a chareidi disguise and to scoff at anti-Semitic cartoons of the Jews from the European anti-Semitic press.

“Only the Meuchedet list has true unity, with a nationalistic-Torah platform including knitted kipot, working chareidim, Sephardi chareidim and traditional Jews. This is the wonderful mosaic of the Jerusalem residents, whom we will act to represent in brotherly love, for the sake of achdus of Yerushalayim and its Jewish character”.

MK (Shas) Michael Michaeli, a former Jerusalem Councilman, expressed harsh criticism against the ad campaign.

He stated, “Bayit Yehudi, in the last municipal elections, received a single seat on the city council. Now they believe if they go with an anti-chareidi campaign, under the banner ‘only Bayit Yehudi will stop the influence of he chareidim’ it will gain something”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)