Elad Deputy Mayor Krisfel Warns Porush Against Running Again

A letter from Deputy Minister Meir Porush states his son, Yisrael Porush, will be running for another term as the mayor of Elad despite calls for him to step down. Speaking to Kikar Shabbos News, Elad Deputy Mayor (Shas) Tzuriel Krisfel explains, “If he wishes to commit suicide, his son, then send him to run in the elections.”

Krisfel explains there is an agreement in place that chareidi parties are uniting, and Gedolei Yisrael are behind the agreement. It will be suicide to run against this”.

Krisfel has been a remains a leading opponent to Yisrael Porush, insisting his tenure as mayor has been a “disaster”, citing the small road to enter the community as an example of his poor leadership, accusing Porush of “buying the rabbonim [in the city] with prutot (pennies), simply acting in an unacceptable fashion. For one thing, Krisfel, and others, feel the city is primarily Sephardi and there is no reason the mayor should be Ashkenazi.

Kikar News adds that Porush declined to respond to the harsh criticism leveled against him by Krisfel.

Jerusalem Mayoral Candidate Elkin Seeks To Highlight Berkowitz Lacks Experience

In this campaign video, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Ze’ev Elkin, who hopes to become Jerusalem’s next mayor, shifts gear. In the video, he does not only speak of his qualifications, but scoffs at one of the leaders in the mayoral race, Ofir Berkowitz of the Hisorarus party, whom he humorously shows in the mayor’s seat, highlighting his inability to deal with budgetary issues, contacting the Prime Minister, meeting a US governor, or dealing with a Chief Rabbi.

Elkin also sends the message that electing Berkowitz is tantamount to electing Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid party.

Dialogue Poll Shows Chareidi Achdus Can Result In A Chareidi Mayor In Yerushalayim

A new survey conducted by the Dialogue Institute headed by Dr. Camille Fuchs and commissioned by the headquarters of the Yossi Deutsch, shows that his chances of winning are great – even in the second round. The survey was conducted among 620 respondents, during which all possible options were examined.

Yossi Deutsch, currently a deputy Jerusalem mayor, is the chareidi candidate in the upcoming mayoral race, affiliated with the Agudas Yisrael faction of Yahadut Hatorah.

The survey first examined the current situation in the race. The respondents were asked, on the assumption chareidi unity would be achieved, and the chareidi parties would support Deutsch, among a race of seven candidates.

The data shows that the splitting of the general public provides a golden opportunity and an excellent chance to crown a chareidi mayor: Yossi Deutsch won 41% support, Berkowitz with 24% support, Elkin with 19% and Moshe Leon with only 8%. In addition, Chavilov with 4%, Azariah with 3% and Salman with 1%.

The survey also shows that if Moshe Leon resigns, which is not seen now, the chareidi candidate, Deutsch, wins 41% support in the race of seven contenders and 45% support, in a three-way race against Ze’ev Elkin, who wins 25% and Ofir Berkowitz, with 30%

In the [likely] event that Leon remains in the race, and Elkin is the one leaving; Deutsch receives 47%, Berkowitz 36% and Leon 17%.

The real surprise comes if there is a runoff election between two candidates. If Deutsch runs against Berkowitz, he takes 59% of the vote, including 20% support from outside the chareidi tzibur. A race against Elkin, Deutsch receives 56% and against Leon, 70%.

Deutsch explains the poll, stating the main point is that there is chareidi unity, not a split and more than one chareidi candidate running, or chareidi parties backing one of the other non-chareidi candidates.

In addition, the percentage is among those who hold the opinion, i.e., those who are already confident regarding their vote, which is about 70% of the participants in the survey.

Shas Chairman Deri Announces The Party Candidate In The Municipal Elections In Emanuel

Following the two stormy election campaigns in the community, the chareidi parties sought to reach an agreement on the identity of the candidate for the head of the Emmanuel Council. A rabbinical committee that united all the rabbonim of the city, comprised of Sephardim, Ashkenazim and Yemenites was established.

However, the rabbis tended to prefer Moshe Hezekiah, a well-known Shas activist, but then the head of the local council, Ezra Gershi, intervened and asked the rabbonim why he was being ousted from the position. The rabbonim decided to raise the issue with Rabbi David Abuchatzera Shlita, who oppose the dismissal of the current council head, Gershi.

Shas officials realized their salvation they seek will not come from the rabbinical committee and Deri is determined to replace Gershi. This week, party chairman, Minister Aryeh Deri, decided that the man would be Ofir Shalush, a known businessman who among other things, can launch new projects towards future developments in the community.

A senior Shas official is quoted telling Kikar Shabbos News, “For several months we tried to reach understandings about an agreed candidate. The Rabbinical Committee met many times, but unfortunately, we were not able to reach agreements, so Shas decided to support Ophir’s candidacy, and I call on all the tzibur at large to unite behind his candidacy.

“Although Shas can win the elections in the community, we tried to reach understandings with the chassidic communities, but they refused to accept the proposals we presented to them,” he said.

Other elements in the party hinted that the chassidic community’s rejection of the proposals and candidates presented to them was because they wanted only an Ashkenazi candidate, which is unreasonable in an entirely Mizrahi community.

On the face of it, Shas, which had already decided who will head the city council leadership as a candidate in the upcoming elections. However, the party is still faced with a difficult challenge: Although the Ashkenazic vote in the Yishuv is only 29%, the last elections in which Gershi competed against Eliyahu Gafni ended with a very narrow victory for Gershi, who overcame the Ashkenazi candidate by only 25 votes.

However, Shas officials remain confident that a new and popular candidate in the city, Ofir Shalush, will succeed in winning the election over any other candidate.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)