2:56AM IL: [UPDATE BELOW] While the final tabulation will take some time, 200,000 votes have been counted and it would appear the next mayor of Yerushalayim is Nir Barkat. Of the 200,000 votes counted, 100,000 go to Barkat and 84,000 to Porush.
208 of 707 polling stations have been counted, representing about 30,000 voters. Barkat has 50%, Porush 36%, Gaydamak 9% and Biran with less than 1%.
43% of eligible voters turned out in the capital, higher than in the previous election.
Statistically speaking, it is highly impossible for Meir Porush to win.
UPDATE 3:07AM IL: There is no doubt, based on tabulation of a number of voting stations in chareidi areas, that the election was lost due to the lack of unity in the chareidi community of Yerushalayim. Fingers of blame are beginning to point in a number of directions but what is for certain is that the inability of the chareidi community to unite around a frum candidate will now really begin to result in a lack of harmony and an ability to work together towards a common goal.
The election appears to be lost, statistically speaking that is, and even before all the votes are counted, the chareidi pollsters and analysts are calling it quits, explaining it is a virtual impossibility for Meir Porush to emerge with a victory.
Voter turnout in the capital was higher than in the last election but the reason given for the defeat of Meir Porush is the lack of support among the chareidim. Dati leumi support for Porush also appears to have been lower than expected.
Barkat campaign officials are still playing it safe and are not announcing a victory, but the Jerusalem election appears to have resulted in a turnaround in City Hall, with chareidim giving up control of the Jewish capital to a secular candidate, who may be boasting a win, but in actuality, the frum community must lament its inability to respect one another and put differences aside to achieve a greater goal.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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7 Responses
A tzara for klal yisrael 🙁
Article well written!
For all the talk of achdus, the frum community in yerushalim has not backed it up. I can tell you as a sefaradi, who lived in Eretz Yisrael for some time, there is no achdus. People look at each other suspiciously and sects are always critical of others. As a sefaradi in particular I cannot say the ashkenazi charedi community has done whats necessary to win the sefaradi vote. May this be a lesson that the time to change things and the time to change the status quo is NOW!!!
“Gam Zu Letova”
Didon Notzach!! It’s definitely not good that there is no unity among chareidim, but it is just as bad to stand up to GEDOLEI UMANHIGEI HADOR no matter what political power you have. May MOSHIACH unite us all BIMHAIROH AMEN!
Although I wanted Porush to win, I still had a lingering feeling that it might not be that great. (This is not a sports game, with a neetzuchen, we won – we won!)
Governor Cuomo once said to a Rabbi (or asken); “For the Jewish people it is better to have a goy Governor”.
I thing the frum community in J’lm will gain more with the secular candidate. The frum candidate would have to play to the tune of the secular media and have his hands tied due to pressure.
So, this “gam zu le’toiveh”, I can actually relate to.
the commentary & opinion of y. spira in this item is wrong for a few reasons.
heres one, ” inability of the chareidi community to unite behind A frum candidate”. not true!
the chareidy community WAS [& is] UNITED behind lopiansky’s relection & when realizing that option was not possible, [he wasnt running], the chareidi community was UNITED behind arye dery!! either had a very dery good chance of winning.
another one: “the reason given for porush’s defeat is the lack of support among chareidim”
This “reason” has not been verified until all the final [secular] votes are counted. its quite probable thar porush would not have won
anyway. [not enouugh secular & dati leumi votes, as many people predicted!] therefore spiras’ comment serves only to cause more baseless blame & sinas chinom among the chareidim!