Deri increases polling stations for Arabs in Jerusalem

There are some 180,000 eligible voters in Arab neighborhoods, but barely one percent of eligible Arab voters cast ballots in the last Jerusalem mayoral race five years ago.
By Gil Hoffman
Interior Minister Arye Deri announced Thursday that he would significantly increase the polling stations in Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods for the October 30th municipal election.

There are some 180,000 eligible voters in Arab neighborhoods, but barely one percent of eligible Arab voters cast ballots in the last Jerusalem mayoral race five years ago.The decision was made after Arabs running in the election threatened to sue. There is still expected to be a lawsuit by Palestinian activist Aziz Abu-Sarah, who wants to run for mayor, even though he is not a citizen.

The final candidates for Jerusalem mayor are Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze'ev Elkin (Jerusalem Will Succeed), deputy mayors Moshe Lion (Jerusalem Sheli) and Yossi Daitch (United Torah Judaism), city council members Ofer Berkovitch (Hitorerut) and Haim Epstein (Peleg Yerushalmi) and former city attorney Avi Salman (I am Jerusalem).

Kulanu MK Rachel Azaria quit the race, and the Yerushalmim party she founded will not be running alone in the election. While her party received the fourth and fifth slots on Elkin's list, key figures in Yerushalmim have decided to back Hitorerut instead.

The final candidates for the Tel Aviv mayoral race are incumbent mayor Ron Huldai, deputy mayor Asaf Zamir, TV presenter Assaf Harel who is backed by Hadash, deputy mayor and Shas representative Natan Elnatan. On Wednesday, Zippi Brand Frank (Simu Lev Horim) announced that she had withdrawn herself as a mayoral candidate and merged with Zamir, running as his number two. Thusday Meretz representative Meital Lehavi quit the race.
https://www.geezgo.com/sps/40828

---

Join Geezgo for free. Use Geezgo's end-to-end encrypted Chat with your Closenets (friends, relatives, colleague etc) in personalized ways.>>