Ometz Lev, a new party running in the October 22 municipal elections launched by incumbent Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Naomi Tsur, is the city’s first viable political party primarily led by women in an arena traditionally dominated by men.
According to recent estimates, Ometz Lev (“braveness of heart”) is likely to win four seats on the 31-seat city council.
Tsur said Tuesday that her party is heralding a “revolutionary movement for the championing of female leadership” in a city noted for its ongoing exclusion of women in the religious and political sectors.
“Our uniqueness is not that we are a party with a women’s agenda, but rather, we are a group of women leaders who will serve all the people of this great city,” said Tsur. “Our diverse members have incredible records of pushing the bounds, and we are thrilled to bring our collective experience together for the sake of Jerusalem.”
Indeed, eight of the 10 candidates on Ometz Lev’s party list include women from a cross-section of Israel’s extensive religious and cultural divides.
Alongside Tsur, a noted environmental leader and deputy mayor since 2008, party members include Massada Porat, the first ultra-Orthodox woman to run for city council; Yaffa Sahalo, an immigrant from Ethiopia; Susan Silverman, a reform rabbi and progressive local leader; and Yossi Abramowitz, one of the world’s leading solar innovators.
Tsur said Ometz Lev’s platform includes four primary goals for the capital, including female leadership, government transparency and public participation, environmental responsibility and sustainability, and increased cooperation between the secular and religious communities.
“Women constitute half of the population and should be so represented in leadership positions,” she said. “We call on Jerusalem voters to take pride in this revolution and to join it.”
Tsur added that she is sanguine about Ometz Lev’s odds in the upcoming election.
“We are geared to win four seats, but with growing local enthusiasm and nationwide backing, we are ready to surprise,” she said.