In the video: promotional videos of the Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon/photo: Jerusalem Municipality
The painful fact must be assumed at the outset: there are no elections in Jerusalem.
Not even a trace of such.
God forbid I am not asking for an aggressive election campaign that will steal public funds and further pollute the air in the city - but you know, a mention of democracy.
Flyers are not handed out at intersections, signs are barely displayed in yards and the wallpapers on the bus windows only appeared at the beginning of last week, and according to the messages printed on them - most of the parties suddenly became Ehadot coaches.
Even before we get to the main reason that turned the capital city of the State of Israel, riddled with eternal conflicts - into an island of industrial peace (and perhaps even suspicious), we should mention the elephant in the room: the war did not bypass politics in Jerusalem.
The events of October 7 removed the background noise from the mayoral elections and freed the residents from cat fights, but also left many question marks about the voting percentages in the elections - and who will be the decision makers in post-war Jerusalem.
Jerusalem under winter weather/Flash 90, Chaim Goldberg
Until before Black Sabbath, in the "liberal" areas of the city it was customary to divide the secular voters in Jerusalem almost equally with the ultra-Orthodox.
If these prevail over the others, the Cape Town Council is biased towards one of the parties, and the effects are far-reaching: opening of businesses and transportation on Shabbat, construction for the various populations and allocation of secular/Orthodox schools in mixed neighborhoods.
The future of the city and the future of Israeli society.
But here a problem arises: many of the general public in the city are in the reserves or busy with the war.
Secular, traditional, religious in varying degrees.
The voting percentages (which are traditionally lower than the potential anyway) are about to drop significantly.
And besides - who has the power to decide local politics now?
We are survivors of the 2023 protests. But the average Jerusalemite will admit the truth: this peace did not start with the war - there are those who have been cultivating this peace for an entire term.
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Mayor Moshe Leon/Flash 90, Yonatan Zindel
Dodging between the drops
Moshe Leon is running with tremendous public support for his second term.
Even the pessimistic pollsters predict a victory for him with quite significant support.
In the last five years, he cultivated a broad coalition from wall to wall and gathered around him personalities from Otzma Yehudit (Arie King) to Meretz (Laura Wharton), including three ultra-Orthodox factions.
Leon succeeds in conveying the complexity of this city almost as a whole - with the slogan "One Jerusalem" he tries to bring everyone under his wing without any community symbol clinging to him.
There are those who call Leon's kippa "transparent" and there are those who claim that under the transparent kippa there is a black kippa hidden - and this is already a difficult claim for Leon, but it has a logical explanation: throughout his term, the ultra-Orthodox representatives mostly got what they asked for, many feel that the city was alarmed and In the struggles in which Leon had the mandate to decide - he chose to roll the burning potato to a court that would decide for him whether to open on Shabbat the cafe in the Garden of Roses or the pool at Har Huma.
But if in the elections he is close to victory - in court he loses time after time.
A series of law violations led the court to rule against him for the crime of "prohibited election propaganda".
Pamphlets, signs, publications for Independence Day and coloring pages in which Leon is promoted in one way or another collected tens of thousands of shekels from the municipality and from his own pocket.
A small amount, but a cloud that would rather be forgotten.
Leon let the court decide.
The pool in Har Huma/official website, Nir Levy
Leon makes sure to dodge between the drops in any issue that might stick to him, the only one who does not adhere to any national faction and on many issues he preferred to decide in a long-term process rather than removing the band-aid.
For example - the Israeli schools in East Jerusalem are multiplying at a dizzying pace.
According to estimates, he intends to push out the schools with the Palestinian curriculum and provide a suitable Israeli alternative.
But we won't hear it in one of his speeches.
In the last five years, he has managed to lead many revolutions in this city: the streets (for the most part) are cleaner and in the east of the city the state of the infrastructure is improving, there is a construction boom that has not been seen for years and a huge hi-tech center that will bring not only the government offices to the city.
On the other hand - negative immigration is at its peak (the general public testifies that this is due to the quality of life and comfort in the city, according to a survey by the Jerusalem Institute), apartment prices are getting more expensive, property taxes are skyrocketing, and even if they don't mean it - yet another business closes its doors on Shabbat and the secular public feels pushed into a corner.
Mayor Moshe Leon, who is at the head of the "One Jerusalem" list, said: "Jerusalem is the largest and most complex city in Israel. The city is home to large and diverse populations with great cultural diversity and changing needs. The first challenge in my eyes is to continue the process of calming and balancing all the communities while meeting their needs They are provided with respect. Our city has been calm for five years, more than it has ever been. I see the continuation of the process as critical for the development of the city and the happiness of its residents. The second challenge is to keep the young people in the city and bring back those who left, along with other strong populations. The third challenge is to return To the place where the city has already been in the past, and is now on its way back there: an international city, alive and vibrant, the center of the Jewish people and the capital of the State of Israel. A city of tourism, education, cultural life and leisure and also the sports capital of Israel. We are completely on our way there and everything feels the change The fourth challenge is the development of a vibrant and successful economic and commercial life, and the fifth challenge is maintaining Jerusalem's identity as a city sitting on the top of a mountain, with mountains and springs around it. Maintaining the green and open areas, the values of nature and the environment and protecting them from threats that are constantly emerging."
The old fox
It seems that the campaigns in Jerusalem are almost coordinated.
All the outdoor signs were distributed one morning a few days ago, with fair and unifying messages, but alongside them was also Yossi Havilio: "Haredi Jerusalem or Israeli Jerusalem?".
In the atmosphere of "just don't go back to the 6/10 discussion" many raised an eyebrow.
Such a divisive message in an election campaign?
How can you not be shocked?
But sarcasm aside, it's the exact campaign slogan for the size of his pack, the candidate who will try to beat Leon - or at least use his reputation as an "alternative" to gain enough power in the city council.
Havilio, a veteran fox in the Jerusalem arena, rich in experience and battles, has been in senior positions in the municipality for more than two decades - first as the ombudsman and in the last decade, a well-known urban activist who has waged long battles for the "free" image of the capital - from the pride parade he brought to the city to protection from closing places Spending time on Shabbat. He was even awarded the Knight of the Quality of Government for his fight for proper administration and the rule of law.
Yossi Havilio/Official website, "Saving Jerusalem" faction
Although Habilio remained deputy mayor until the end of the term, he did not agree to withdraw for a moment from the public fight for the city - even when he decided to submit petitions as deputy mayor against moves in the municipality.
In his fight for the mayorship, he brings the antithesis of Leon without saying the name of the mayor: to tear off the Band-Aid on the burning issues of the Jerusalem status quo, to take care of the general public in the city and to keep Jerusalem "free", as he defined it.
But despite and perhaps because his chances of success in defeating Leon are low - he prefers not to clash with him head-on - but to criticize processes in the city.
In a strange way, the "Jerusalem Union" (the name of the movement led by its members - Union of Labor, Meretz and Yesh Atid - Yeshi) invested great efforts before the war - precisely in mutual injuries with the "Awakening" movement that seek to bring the same public - more or less Yossi Havilio, who is at the head of the "Jerusalem Union" list, said:
"
In recent years, I have fought for the image of the city together with my fellow members of the Jerusalem Union: the battles for the opening of the Har Huma pool and the Smadar cinema, along with the battles for equitable investment in the budget for all, maintaining the image of the neighborhoods Statehood, protection of public buildings and state educational institutions, and of course preventing the exclusion of women.
Jerusalem has reached the most fateful historical moment of decision since the establishment of the state.
If Jerusalem is not a state, it will not be the capital of Israel.
If she is not Israeli, she will not represent the country we established.
If Jerusalem becomes ultra-Orthodox, it will lose its historical status and essence.
Moshe Leon leads the city to Bnei Brak de facto.
My friends and I in the Jerusalem Union will stop this."
The movement that was a step away from the mayor's office must wake up
Another notable candidacy may determine the future of the city council - and those who debated for a long time whether to run for the presidency: "Awakening" - the largest and most significant movement on Jerusalem Street.
In the previous elections, they were one step away from winning (a gap of 3,000 votes), and following the refusal to enter the coalition and the departure of the chairman of the movement, Ofer Berkovich - they lost a significant part of their power, but are still known and liked on the street.
Adir Schwartz/Official website, Revival Faction
Adir Schwartz, the young chairman of the movement, who is not yet 30 years old, leads a line of very intensive field work that is typical of the movement's DNA.
With positive messages and social projects, they try to win the hearts of the residents - especially the young ones.
The Civil Military Police that they established during the war is functioning and largely replacing many authorities, the concern for reservists and students in the city from the depth of the factions - and the slogan they chose in the campaign during the war is not ready to attack anyone: "For the life of this generation".
In addition, the large turnover of elected officials keeps things fresh but leaves "Awakening" as a dead leaf after changes. According to sources with knowledge of municipal politics, if Schwartz receives enough votes he may push out his packages from the deputies and receive five years of work for the city. There, he will have to prove above all that he is not just a protest marcher from the field, but also knows how to lead moves at the round tables - and knock on them. To lead a cohesive ideological line for a change and not to miss opportunities in the future negotiations.
The ultra-orthodox and religious wing
Along with the voting percentages that leave the politicians groping in the dark - this will be the big election question: Who will the city council of Israel's capital be made up of?
As mentioned, the precedential influence in Jerusalem is great and looks forward to the future throughout the country.
In the ultra-orthodox wing - Dagel, Agudath Israel and Shas - are fighting among themselves, but if nothing dramatic happens - they will call on the public to vote en masse. The representatives who led the Arabs of the eastern city are almost unheard of, a big question mark leads the turnout there since few are optimistic about Their exit to vote. The Likud is at the bottom of the ladder in Jerusalem, according to polls known to Walla!, and if it succeeds in concentrating its effort, it will be able to bring a mandate at the Ze'ev summit in the city. The same goes for several other factions, which according to the polls will manage to garner hundreds of votes but will remain below the blocking percentage.
Hagit Moshe's campaign/official website, spokespersons from the Religious Zionist Federation
In religious Zionism the division is quite similar to my country: Smotrich is running Hagit Moshe, who ran before the war with an anti-Orthodox campaign: "If we don't vote - we will suffocate", Ben Gabir who stands behind Arie King who is currently leading a fight against the UNRA institutions in Jerusalem and the representative of the party Noam, who apart from Jerusalem is not competing in any other city. In the days when dozens of terrorists are released to the east of the city, and security returns to the top of the list of priorities - they can flourish, but perhaps one at the expense of the other.
So maybe in Jerusalem the elections are not in sight, the messages come out a warm sense of unity and in general I feel That local politics somewhat insults the dimensions of this city. But it's important to remember: the real struggles here take a long time, and what will be decided here in three weeks could change world orders for many years to come.
More on the same topic:
Jerusalem
The elections to the local authorities
Moshe Leon
Yossi Havilio
awakening