If one believes Degel Hatorah and Shas will automatically endorse Yossi Deutsch in the Jerusalem mayoral race because he is the only chareidi candidate, one is mistaken. In fact, both parties have yet to announced who they will back, and both are still contemplating running their own candidate. It appears that once again, the chareidim will not be united and many fear, as in previous elections, divisions in the camp will open the door for secular candidate Ofir Berkowitz of the Hisorarus party, who is among the leaders in the race. Berkowitz would implement policies similar to outgoing mayor, Nir Barkat.

Despite the fact that Deputy Mayor Yossi Deutsch has officially announced his candidacy in the Jerusalem mayoral race, the Shas and Degel Hatorah parties have yet to announce which candidate they will back in the elections. Many meetings continue to take place, both on the local and national level, but the parties have yet to announce if they will endorse the chareidi candidate.

Eliezer Ruchberger, who run the local branch of Degel Hatorah and is close to national party chairman, MK Moshe Gafne, told Kikar Shabbos News, that the litvish tzibur, including Shas, can successfully place ensure that candidate Moshe Leon will become the next mayor of the city. Without the backing of Degel Hatorah and Shas, it remains questionable if Deutsch can emerge successful in the mayoral race. They feel that Leon, who is Shomer Shabbat but not chareidi, will have an easier time advancing projects for the chareidi public, more so than Deutsch, who himself is chareidi. They refer particularly to the planned construction of over 20,000 apartment units recently approved in the capital, hoping many of these units will be allocated for chareidi housing.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)