And the Winner of the Jerusalem Election is....

Still too close to call [1:01 AM]. Haaretz (in Hebrew) reports that in actual results so far, of 124 polling stations out of 707 counted, that Barkat is leading 48.9% to Porush 25.9%

Lurker, please feel free to update, since I'm sure you'll still be awake.

Lurker reporting:

2:30 am:

With 197 of 707 polling stations counted, Barkat now has 52.5%, Porush 33.3%, and Arkadi Gaydamak 9.65%.

The Channel 1 telephone poll predicts 50% for Barkat, 42% for Porush, 7% for Gaydamak, and 1% for Dan Biran (the old hippie stoner guy). Porush's people, however, seem completely unfazed, saying that they are privy to information that is far more reliable than Channel 1's poll, and that come morning, Porush will have won.

3:00 am:

Polling stations counted: 264 out of 707
Barkat: 50%
Porush: 38%
Gaydamak: 6.5%

At Barkat headquarters, they're already celebrating. And at Porush headquarters, they're still smirking...

OK, now I'm going to sleep...

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

The Jerusalem Election

In one of the stranger mayoral elections for Jerusalem, a secular Israeli, Nir Barkat is running against Ultra Orthodox MK Meir Porush.

Porush's PR people decided he looked too "scary" in real life, so they chose a whimsical, SouthPark type cartoon character to represent him. I'm not sure I disagree with their assessment.

Meanwhile, I received the following from a reader today -- a flier reportedly being distributed in the Ultra Orthodox "Ezras Torah" neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Translation Below.

Unprecedented:

Rabbi Meir Porush has promised the Torah Giants:

All jobs in the Jerusalem Municipality will be manned only
by kippa wearing men and women with their hair covered
[ie, only Orthodox/Ultra Orthodox religious people]

Give your voice [vote] to an Ultra Orthodox Mayor

Yerushalayim is gonna love Porush,
from experience!!!

An Ultra Orthodox Municipal Council Majority is Possible!!

Now, I don't know about you -- but this seems rather unfair.

If Jerusalem is a large city with many sectors, why should single Jewish women who don't yet cover their hair be excluded from Jerusalem municipal jobs?

Why is Porush targeting single women and excluding them from the job market?

Expatriate Israeli, new French national and "citizen of the world" Avrum Burg (pictured at left) is supporting Porush. (Burg would probably also look better with a cartoon character when he decides to return to Israeli politics)

Perhaps this sort of exclusion is a French thing?

I'm baffled.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד