Barkat set for second term in Jerusalem
ISRAEL’S ultra-Orthodox community suffered a major setback on this week, when it failed to regain political power in Jerusalem.
ISRAEL’S ultra-Orthodox community suffered a major setback on this week, when it failed to regain political power in Jerusalem.
Like other cities across Israel, Jerusalem held local elections on Tuesday. But while in most other locales the races were mostly about schooling and clean streets, in Jerusalem the race became about deeper issues of identity and religion.
In the last elections, five years ago, the ultra-Orthodox mayor Uri Lupolianski lost power. Haredim felt that they had lost their ability to shape the public space in Jerusalem.
Lupolianski’s time in office saw Haredi norms creep in to various aspects of the city’s life. For example, dancers performing at the opening of a new bridge in 2008 had their outfits lengthened and had to wear head coverings to comply with ultra-Orthodox standards of modesty.
A few months after this incident, Jerusalem elected the secular Nir Barkat as mayor, and a very different ethos was ushered in. Since he took office, a large new recreation centre that operates on Shabbat has been opened in the city and the budget for secular cultural events — which were sidelined under Lupolianski — increased by 300 per cent.
Judging by ballots counted as of press time, on Tuesday Jerusalem reelected Barkat, rejecting Moshe Lion, a candidate backed by most Haredi leaders. Though Lion is not himself Haredi — he is a religious`-Zionist — he courted the support of Haredim and they were expecting him to be loyal to their causes.
In particular, Lion was expected to give the all-important planning portfolio on the council to Haredim, which would have meant a spike in provision for synagogues, yeshivot and housing for the Haredi sector.
Jerusalem is often said to be a city that is becoming more and more Haredi-dominated, and less and less accommodating to the secular. But this week showed that political power in the city has shifted firmly back to secular residents.
After being left out of the coalition after the general election in January, Haredi politicians were hoping for a morale boost by reestablishing influence in Jerusalem. For them, Tuesday’s result was a disaster of enormous proportions.
NATHAN JEFFAY
Nir Barkat looks set to be re-elected in Jerusalem.
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