Local elections have always aroused greater interest in ultra-Orthodox cities than anywhere else. The intense preoccupation of the ultra-orthodox leadership in the local elections reflects their detachment from the war.
Some of its representatives claim that the elections are a "battle" that the government has decided must be faced. But harsh criticism is also heard from within the sector itself, writes Yossi Ben-Ghiat. "In the current battle, Torah Judaism is more divided than ever," he says.