If anyone is still naïve enough to believe that the machlokes surrounding municipal elections has anything to do with benefiting the citizens of a particular city or municipality, the following deal should remove these unrealistic notions. In fact, clearly, it is about a party maintaining power, control over funding, and the ability to assist its own tzibur above all else. It is about keeping the powerbrokers in key positions, as each party is looking to advance its own personal agenda.
According to information revealed to the media, the deal between Shlomei Emunim and Degel Hatorah surrounding the municipal elections in Elad and Beit Shemesh will bring an end to the machlokes, and secure jobs for the persons involved. One may call it achdus, or perhaps more correctly, a business agreement that both sides view as the best possible situation amid the unwanted reality that the other is not vanishing any day soon.
In the upcoming municipal elections in Elad, Mayor Yisrael Porush will not seek reelection and the slot will go to a Degel Hatorah candidate. The deal represents a ceasefire between Degel Hatorah and Shlomei Emunim. No need to be too concerned for Porush, who will not be unemployed. He will be moved to Beit Shemesh, where Degel will back him as the paid deputy mayor in the city, under the incumbent, Moshe Abutbul, who they believe will emerge the victor in the race.
In the next municipal elections, in 5784, Degel Hatorah will back Yisrael Porush in the mayoral race in Beit Shemesh. In that election, Degel will receive the portfolios which will be held by Shlomei following the upcoming elections.
Degel will commit to this before a beis din, acting with the knowledge of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita. Degel will also speak with Shas, to persuade Abutbul to step down and not run again in 5784. It is most likely he will agree, for without the backing of Degel and Shlomei Emunim, he would not likely win the race. Shlomei Emunim will also commit to this before a beis din.
Kikar Shabbos News reports that negotiations took place with HaGaon HaRav Silman Shlita, who was tapped by the Moetzas Gedolei Torah of Degel to attempt to arrive at an agreement. It is reported that Slobodka objected in the beginning, preferring to have Porush for another term in Elad, seeking an agreement that would push the rotation off to 5784, thereby permitting Porush to serve for ten consecutive years.
Rav Silman negotiated with the Rosh Yeshivas Slobodka, HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Hillel Hirsch Shlita. They operated with the knowledge that Rav Kanievsky stated the deal in place in Elad should be honored, and Degel should receive the mayoral slot in Elad in this upcoming race. HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein Shlita was also of the opinion that Elad should go to Degel Hatorah in the upcoming elections. HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Ba’adani, who serves as a member of the Moetzas Gedolei Torah of Shas also met with Rav Kanievsky, and the rav instructed Degel to due its utmost to find a candidate that is also acceptable to Shas in Elad, to avoid machlokes with any chareidi party. Rav Ba’adani also met with Rav Edelstein and signaled that the decision by Rav Kanievsky is also acceptable to him. It is most likely that Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yitzchak Pindrus, who heads the Degel list in Jerusalem, will be tapped as the candidate to run Elad. It remains to be seen as to who will replace him in Jerusalem, and if Degel Hatorah will still run its own candidate in the Jerusalem race, competing with the Agudas Yisrael candidate, Yossi Deutsch.
According to a BeChadrei Chareidim report, a deal orchestrated by Modi’in Illit Mayor Yaakov Gutterman, who is known to be close to Rav Kanievsky, states that in the next elections, in 5784, Shlomei Emunim will receive the backing of Degel Hatorah, and it will receive the mayoral slots in both Elad and Beit Shemesh.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
This Article is overly facetious
Who the Mayor is adds a tone to a town
The next elections are in 5784, not 5783. Municipal elections in Israel are held at the end of October (after Rosh Hashana) every five years.
I find it very interesting how these positions are allocated through backroom deals reached in negotiations between the haredi parties. No consideration at all is given to the will of the voter, particularly the non-haredi voter. Why bother having elections at all – just get three or four rabbanim together in a room and they can decide for everyone. This is not the way to operate in a democratic society.
The most recent professional poll has Dr. Aliza Bloch slightly ahead of Abuttbull in Bet Shemesh. It’s likely that, if anything, it understates Chareidi support for Dr. Bloch as even in an anonymous poll many Chareidim would be suspicious and thus reticent to reveal their true feelings. The entire city is suffering under the inept siege of the current mayor, often Chareidim most of all. Many of these people know they were screwed by “Daas Torah” in the last election and understand the old adage, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Nothing would give the vast majority of residents in Bet Shemesh more pleasure than seeing this “deal” go down in flames thanks to the actual will of the people.