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Running The Most Contentious Of Cities: A Look At Jerusalem’s Mayoral Contest (with VIDEO)

Four candidates will square off in a bid to hold an office deemed among the most vital on the world stage

As Jerusalemites head to the polls on Tuesday, the city’s mayoral race is shaping up to be a close contest, according to predictions. Four candidates are in the running for arguably one of the toughest mayoral slots in the world, but also one that comes with great clout on the international stage.

According to a last-minute poll conducted by Shvakim Panorama, an Israeli research institute, Ofer Berkovitch (of the Hitorerut or “Awakening” party) and Moshe Leon are leading the pack to succeed outgoing Mayor Nir Barkat of Israel’s conservative Likud party.

Berkovitch, 35, a city councilman and former deputy mayor, is the youngest and only secular candidate in the contest. If victorious, he could energize the city’s dwindling secular community which carries the heaviest tax burden.

Moshe Leon, chairman of the Jerusalem Development Authority who likewise sits on the city council, has won the support of some Likud as well as ultra-Orthodox (haredi) officials. Without at least some support from the city’s large haredi community candidates would undoubtedly face an uphill battle.

Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze’ev Elkin (Likud), who was endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, is predicted to take the third slot. He is followed by Deputy Mayor Yossi Daitch (United Torah Judaism party), a haredi candidate.

The winner of Tuesday’s vote will receive a difficult mandate, given the city’s acrimonious divisions. The prime one is, of course, between Jews and Muslims, both of whom view the city as vital to their national aspirations. For their part, the Palestinians claim the eastern part of Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Meanwhile, the city’s Jewish residents have long sparred over the issue of businesses operating on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.

Ahead of every municipal vote, many observers are reminded of the late Theodor “Teddy” Kollek, who held the mayoral post between 1965 and 1993. The iconic Kollek is credited with modernizing Jerusalem after the 1967 war, when Israel captured the eastern part of the city from Jordan. His extensive programs earned him the epithet of “Jerusalem’s greatest builder since Herod,” the ancient client king of Judea under the Romans who constructed lavish palaces and most famously restored Jerusalem’s Temple around 19 BCE.

Commenting on the mayor’s role on the international stage, Osnat Kollek, daughter of the late mayor, told The Media Line that her “father—named after Theodore Herzl, [the founder of modern Zionism]—believed in Herzl’s vision for Jerusalem, which was meant to be the capital of the Jewish people and should [be a beacon of] peace, culture and pluralism as is written in the Bible.

“In his time, Teddy Kollek had many international friends,” she added.

Noam Brenner, a researcher specializing in leadership in divided societies at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, told The Media Line that “one of Jerusalem’s greatest opportunities (or challenges) is its population diversity, with approximately 40% Palestinians, 20% secular Jews, 20% ultra-Orthodox and 20% traditional Jews.

“A new mayor must represent his electorate but also serve the other social groups. More than anything else, this challenge requires qualities of coalition-building and openness to cooperation,” he said, adding that “a contentious or peaceful environment in Jerusalem is a barometer for the entire region.”

Jerusalem also suffers from significant differences between its two halves—east and west, Brenner elaborated. The former lacks adequate infrastructure and is plagued by poverty, unemployment and crime.

“Unfortunately, any attempt to improve east Jerusalem will be met with resistance from both sides,” he stressed. “Israeli residents will want the resources for themselves, while Palestinians do not cooperate because they don’t want to normalize relations with the Israeli government. But a courageous mayor might create a new narrative for Jerusalem, a story about coexistence or local city-zenship.”

Ofer Inbar, political and strategic adviser to Berkovitch’s campaign, told The Media Line that his boss has always lived in Jerusalem and has thus formed many connections in government among various parties.

“So, he is almost apolitical. Berkovitch is also the only one among the four candidates who doesn’t eventually want to go into the Knesset [Israeli parliament], Inbar said.

“He wants to stay in Jerusalem. Kollek was the mayor for 28 years. I’m not sure Berkovitch wants to serve that long, but he wants to stay here; he wants his friends who left to come back and Jerusalem is all he cares about.”

There is a big difference between municipal elections and those for the Israeli parliament, Inbar explained.

“You work, you pay your rent and taxes, but at the end of the day the thing you want is that the five meters in front of your house will be clean. You also want better education. This is why the municipal elections are more important for people; they are also more passionate and full of attacks.”

Michal Micha, a Jerusalem resident, conveyed to The Media Line that she will vote for Leon “because he is in the right. I support not opening stores and bars during Shabbat. He is a man who can keep the rules of the religious and still lead the city,” she asserted.

Ana Greenberger, another Jerusalemite, revealed to The Media Line that she is casting her ballot for Elkin. “I would prefer him over more religious or ultra-Orthodox mayors given that so many people look to this city as a symbol of hope. The mayor is going to influence that, so it’s important for people to know.”