Jerusalem – Enough of the votes have been counted to declare opposition leader Nir Barkat having won the race for the Jerusalem mayorship, Israel Radio reported early Wednesday morning.
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With 264 of 707 polling stations’ votes counted, Barkat garnered 52 percent of the vote, MK Meir Porush of the United Torah Judaism Party 38%, and Israeli-Russian billionaire tycoon Arcadi Gaydamak 6.5%.
Barkat was set to make his victory speech to a crowd of celebrating supporters at his campaign headquarters, according to Israel Radio.
Polls closed throughout the country at 10 p.m, on Tuesday evening, with low voter turnout doing nothing to dampen the drama in municipal elections. In Jerusalem, 41% of eligible voters came to the polls, compared with 38% five years ago, according to the Interior Ministry.
U/D 8:50 PM EST
Enough of the votes have been counted to declare opposition leader Nir Barkat having won the race for the Jerusalem mayorship, Israel Radio reported early Wednesday morning.
Barkat made a victory speech to a crowd of celebrating supporters at his campaign headquarters, calling the win “a victory for Jerusalem, Israel and the Jewish people.”
He also blessed his rivals Porush and Gaydamak and called for cooperation across both the political spectrum and the religious spectrum.
“There is room in Jerusalem for everyone,” he said, adding “if there’s not room for everyone, then there’s not room for anyone.”
we didnt need a nother chariedy mayer
BH he lost
THESE ARE POLL NUMBERS, THE VOTES WERE NOT COUNTED
Great News: if this is what Hashem wants it must be good. Lets remember that we still have to have Ahavs Yisroel for all including the Orthodox who did not vote for Porush, the Torah says V’ahavto Es H’Ger lets put it behind us and pray real hard for the Geulah.
What was the Gerrer Rebbi Shlita thinking?
you are assuming Israelis are smart enough to fool the exit polsters??
Those that fight the Gur rabbi never win!
See Shimon Peres, Porush etc.
Kol hakovod or Gur!
Lies!
ok yankel litzman are u happy now u can continue your bulling of the shlomei amunim & get to destroy the haimishe community just that u should come out ontop
and PORUSH WINS!!!!! OH is that good or bad?
it aint over till the fat lady sings or in this case till fat yankel sings the chilul hashem that the gerers made today was much greater than anyone ecxpected by beating people coming to vote trying to run over people i must say this is the most remarkable election in the history how one camp (ger) went with their own paws to try to make sure that a chiloni muschas is going to run yerushalayim i guess the gerer shita changed and the belive in chilul shabbos and the toeva parade will start from the gerer bais hamedrash
crazy sick people the chilonim and the gerre you’ll all regret it
Porush is a good person always helped everyone, its amazing how gur can go against a frum yid for nonsense, they are a bunch of pushy people that think they own the world, I hope barkat teaches them a lesson, at least everyone will know why there is not a frum person runing the holy city
The polls are now showing that its a tight race… let’s hope he wins… and I think that the Gerrer Rebbe Shlit”a made a mistake…all cause of personal political reasons…why does all of Kllal Yisroel have to suffer…even the Boyaner Rebbe Shlit”a flew in to show his support (even though he didn’t go with him until now)
#12 the boyaner flew in last minute and he told his chasidim last minute to vote for porush but the interesting thing is that at the mateh there was not even a boyaner table set up so that was such a great deed of the boyaner rebee almost like the gerer the difference is the boyaner wears a tie so that makes it all kosher!
WE HAVE TO BE BACHDUS OTHERWISE WE ALL LOSS!
Well is that like Mccain or Obama?
Barkat is a very nice person! No need for a Charadi mayor!
Its a shame that Ger got into this war. In the past it seemed like the Gerrer Rebbe was trying to be peaceful with other camps. If you remember he took numerous trips around the world with Rav Steinman. There must be something very deep here if they couldn’t get along with the others.
GUR DONT BE SO PROUD. ITS A TARIBLE CHILEL HASHEM!
BIYAN SHOULD BE PROUD OF THERE RABBI. HE IS A REAL TZADIK
Now we can have a gay pride parade in Jerusalem. Thanks to Ger!
Was mondrowitz let out of prison so he can vote along with leizerowitz for the gerer candidate?
Do we vote only for a religous person? Or do we vote based on who will do the best job? If the answer is we only vote for a religous person then you deserve Obama as you are voting with the same thought process of a black. The current Mayor could not stop the gay pride parade and neither would Porush be able too. Barkat is a decent human being and will be a great Mayor.
“Now we can have a gay pride parade in Jerusalem. Thanks to Ger!”
You had the parade when the Gimmel (Degel) Mayor, Lupolianski was in charge.
Was that the Gerre Rebbe’s fault too?
good news we dont need a charadei mayor in yerushlaim! we need to go forward not a 100 years backwards!
in no way can this be seen as a victory for ger. It’s most definite that the 1500 – 2500 votes that would have gone from Ger to porush were replaced by others who wouldn’t have gone out to vote.
#30 It would have happend under Porush as well,so dont start to blame the gerrers for it!
Three hours after municipal elections polls closed across the country, Israel awaited final results.
In Jerusalem, with 118 of 707 polling stations counted, opposition leader Nir Barkat had received 46 percent of the votes, MK Meir Porush of the United Torah Judaism Party 27%, and Israeli-Russian billionaire tycoon Arcadi Gaydamak 21%.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Jerusalem: 191 ballots counted, Barkat leads with 52.3%
Published: 11.12.08, 01:49 / Israel News
After the counting of 191 ballots in Jerusalem, secular candidate Nir Barkat continues to lead with 52.3% of votes. In second place is ultra-Orthodox candidate Meir Porush with 33.2%.
Billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak has 9.7% of the vote so far, and Dan Biron is last with less than one percent. (Amnon Meranda)
HOT OF THE PRESS BH MOISHE ABUDBUL JUST WON THE ELECTIONS IN BEIT SHEMESH. MAY WE CONTINUE TO ONLY SHARE GOOD NEWS TOGETHER
Its over!! Mier porush lost and barkat won! Confirmed 100 percent. Shame on the ger rabbi and chasidum they embarresd klal yisroel. The day will come and they will learn a big lesson that the yihadis hatorha klal yisroel doesent belong to them. First let them take care of them selfs and then may they could be an example for the non secular jews. They are below dignity their selfles ugly people. Shame agian
i dont understand you guys out there if we would have a choice to vote for nir barkat or for the oicher ysroel moshe finkel who fed klal yisroel neveilos or treifos who would we vote for i am sure you would have chosen nir barkat and not moshe finkel alltough he had hechesher on his meat from many rabonim
the same is with meir porush shem reshoim yirkav he has hechsher from many rabonim but his treifes and neveiles are going to be revealed very shortly
Gay pride marshall next year is Dr. Mondrowitz. Will leave from the gerrer beis hamedrish and work its way to leizerowitz’s digs.
I don’t know why people are blaming Ger. Although I’m a supporter of Aguda I could never understand why Aguda had to push for Porush who had to fight for his votes when Lupolanski would have been a shoo in. I feel Agudda acted like a bunch of babies and now got it’s reward.
Nir Barkat happens to be an exceptionally intelligent, fair-minded person. Anyone who has spent some time with him — like I did — comes away with a good felling that he will be the mayor of all the people and implement a vision of Yerushalyim that until now has not existed. He might be considered secular but he has strong traditional roots and respects all Jews regardless of their levush, piety, etc. Give him a chance and you’ll see great things.
Just one question. How many gedolim went to the ger rebbe and tried to persuade him to support porush? I think it would be a different story had we heard that some rabonim went to him. If they didn’t, I would agree with the poster that feels that ger did the dirty work once again. Had the rabonim felt that porush is the way to go and klal yisroel needs porush; they would personaly go to the ger rebbe and talk with him. Just a point to consider
I THINK THE RABBONIM NEED TO ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO VOTE WHO THEY LIKE AND STOP DICTATING WHO WE CAN VOTE FOR
I AM FOR ONE FED UP WITH BEING TOLD BY AGUDA HOW TO VOTE
I VOTE FOR WHO I WANT
I hope for your sakes that you manage to bind your wounds, forgive (or at least forget) and get on with life. Otherwise, if you keep up with this game of mutual recriminations, your party will takes some very hard hits in the national elections.
I am no expert in politics, but it is obvious that if someone upsets a group of people sooner or later he will have to pay a price. Without taking sides in the issue, it is clear that Porush upset a lot of folks in the Beitar election. Now he has to pay the price. Was it worth it? Only he can answer that question. However all groups involved are going to have to put this stuff behind them or they will all pay a price.
Well sounds like the Gerer Rebbi is tho only one who does not get intimated and could stand up to false askanem Kol Hakavod.