Local elections results
The local elections in Israel had two important results. In Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, the secular businessman, won by 52% to 43% over the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) candidate, Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism. This represents a welcome break with the recent past, when the combined population of haredim managed to get one of their own, Uri Lupoliansky, elected 5 years ago. It is noteworthy that because of internal divisions, Barkat managed to attract a portion of the haredi and Orthodox vote, indicating that it is not monolithic and has become more sophisticated. Although he was not a terrible mayor, many people felt that Lupoliansky neglected quite a few areas, such as trying to develop businesses and jobs to keep young people in Jerusalem. Now, with Nir Barkat that problem should be tackled seriously.
In Tel Aviv, the result was the reelection of the incumbent Ron Huldai who beat the challenger MK Dov Henin, of the Hadash (Communist) party for a third term by 51% to 34%. Huldai was going to retire, but the possibility that a hard-left candidate would become mayor of Israel's main business center was too much, so he ran again and fortunately won. In other cities incumbents were reelected, such as in Haifa and Netanya. But, in Beersheva the ailing mayor Yaakov Terner (76) was beaten by a much younger candidate, Rubik Danilowitz (37), who had been his deputy. This effect happened in several races, including Ashdod, where the former mayor had been in office for 25 years, and this was called by some "the Obama effect."
One difference between Israel and the US is that local elections here are not indicators for the results of general elections, the next one being in three months. The major political parties, Kadima, Likud and Labor, are quite weak in local election races, and many of the candidates run for small and independent parties that specialize in specific areas of local concern, such as the greens on the environment, or educational or social welfare parties. That's why there are so many small parties in local races (there were 25 in Netanya). Nevertheless, the mayors often align themselves with one of the major parties because they too have national ambitions. But, another interpretation is that people are fed up with the large national parties and so choose to vote "against" them as a protest.
In Tel Aviv, the result was the reelection of the incumbent Ron Huldai who beat the challenger MK Dov Henin, of the Hadash (Communist) party for a third term by 51% to 34%. Huldai was going to retire, but the possibility that a hard-left candidate would become mayor of Israel's main business center was too much, so he ran again and fortunately won. In other cities incumbents were reelected, such as in Haifa and Netanya. But, in Beersheva the ailing mayor Yaakov Terner (76) was beaten by a much younger candidate, Rubik Danilowitz (37), who had been his deputy. This effect happened in several races, including Ashdod, where the former mayor had been in office for 25 years, and this was called by some "the Obama effect."
One difference between Israel and the US is that local elections here are not indicators for the results of general elections, the next one being in three months. The major political parties, Kadima, Likud and Labor, are quite weak in local election races, and many of the candidates run for small and independent parties that specialize in specific areas of local concern, such as the greens on the environment, or educational or social welfare parties. That's why there are so many small parties in local races (there were 25 in Netanya). Nevertheless, the mayors often align themselves with one of the major parties because they too have national ambitions. But, another interpretation is that people are fed up with the large national parties and so choose to vote "against" them as a protest.
posted by Jack Cohen at 7:06 AM
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