Elections in Safed/Eli Ashkenazi
A little before five o'clock in the afternoon, it seemed that for a short time, which lasted maybe a minute, all the election activists who were standing at the entrance of the Ari school in Safed, where a ballot box was placed, united. After a barrage of rockets appeared in the sky of the Western Galilee, they all looked for a good observation post in the direction of Mount Miron, For fear of another volley falling there. The echoes of explosions were still heard in the distance, when a few minutes later everyone returned to their position - Shas activists, Likud, Lithuanians and also those who worked for thrifty lists that did not set up a stand.
When you clean up the noise of the barrages and the great dirt of the paperwork that was scattered on the city's roads with election propaganda on it, you can clearly feel the deep tension that prevailed around the election campaign.
"In these elections it will be determined whether Safed will become Bnei Brak," a resident of the city summed up the reason for the passions that surrounded her.
Elections in Safed/Eli Ashkenazi
Elections in Safed/Eli Ashkenazi
For the mayorship, the mayor, Likud member Shoki Ohana, is running against Yossi Kakun, a Shas representative. There is also a third contender, Arkady Brest, who does not really have a significant camp of supporters behind him. Ohana was elected in the last elections and wishes to continue for another term, but A few months ago Shas dropped a candidate on its behalf, Yossi Kakon, who was not a resident of the city.
"If Shuki loses after everything he has done for the benefit of the residents in investing in education, sports, culture, youth and young people - the city will change," said Nir Gaz, a supporter of Ohana.
"There will be segregation on buses and road closures on Saturdays. The city is going through our hands, Aryeh Deri dropped a man here who came from the mountains and who doesn't even know the residents here," he added angrily.
The polling station at the school on Keren Hayesod Street is in the heart of a neighborhood that is identified with the ultra-Orthodox community.
Few of the voters approached the booth of the Ohana activists, when two girls - Oriya Batito and Ester Scandarion - were also sitting with Gaz.
Batito, a resident of Moshav Avivim, was evacuated with her family to Tiberias at the beginning of the war.
She studies in Safed and comes to study in the city every day.
Elections in Safed/Eli Ashkenazi
Elections in Safed/Eli Ashkenazi
"The elections interest me because Safed is important to me, I study here and feel that the city is changing. I fear that it will become ultra-Orthodox," shared Batito.
"I came today with a short shirt and they looked at me strangely and with horrible looks."
Her friend said that her brother is gay, and "in the city they treat him and his friends disgustingly. There were those who told me that they spit on them and curse at them. Safed is not ultra-Orthodox yet, but if he is elected, she will become one," she said.
Haim Sofer, a Shas activist who grew up in the city and went to study at a high yeshiva in Bnei Brak, arrived in the city last night when he was due to leave tomorrow morning. "I hear the talk that if the mayor loses, the city will panic, that's what they say.
But I'm sure that if Kakun wins, it won't change the image of the city much," he said, adding: "This is a united city - and it will remain so." However, Eliyahu Goldschmid, who was sitting in the booth of the "For Torah and Benevolent Acts" list that represents the Lithuanian movement, clarified that "the entire ultra-Orthodox sector supports Kakon because the ultra-Orthodox public did not get what it deserved.
There was a feeling that they were trying to hurt us.
Ohana deprived the ultra-orthodox sector," he said.
The heavy noise of fighter jets constantly flying in the sky brought him back to reality. "In the morning missiles were fired at Miron across the street, now the planes are constantly over the city.
This is really a war," Sofer clarified.
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