World Jewish News
Incumbent Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat celebrate his victory in municipal election, October 23, 2013. Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post
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Incumbent mayors victorious in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem municipal elections
23.10.2013, Holocaust The incumbent mayors of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in the early hours of Wednesday claimed victories in their respective municipal elections.
Following a highly contested Jerusalem race, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat beat his rival, Likud Beytenu Moshe Lion after the later conceded his defeat.
Barkat, following his victory, called on the city's residents to join together to improve the capitol and advance it as a "more attractive place".
"Tonight Jerusalem won," Barkat said, stressing that he "will not leave any sector" of the city behind.
In Tel Aviv, Mayor Ron Huldai retained his position with 53% of votes, beating popular Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz and Aharon Meduel.
In Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav beat opponent Yaakov Borovsky with 49% of ballots.
Beersheba's incumbent Mayor Rubik Danilovitch also kept his seat with a landslide majority of 92.2% of the vote
Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbul (Shas) took the lead over rival Eli Cohen with 51.9% of results.
In Rishon Lezion, Mayor Dov Zur claimed another term winning 70% of votes.
Bat Yam Mayor Shlomi Lahiani, who the High Court of Justice removed from his previous position in office Sunday, claimed a victory, stating "the public is sovereign and the public has decided," Israel Radio quoted him as saying.
Eilat Mayor Meir Yitzhak Halevi also won his city's elections to hold another term.
According to a preliminary count of about one-third of Jerusalem votes at 2 a.m., Barkat had garnered 55% of votes, while Lion held 41%.
Preliminary results from the Tel Aviv polls evinced Huldai leading with 50%. The interim results showed Horowitz (Meretz) with 37% of votes.
Israel recorded low voter turn-out Tuesday in local elections for mayors and city councils across 191 municipalities around the country. Some 5,469,041 Israelis were eligible to vote, but by 8:30 p.m., just 42 percent had cast a ballot. Polls closed at 10 p.m. on Tuesday.
Final voter turn-out in Jerusalem stood at 35.89%, and in Tel Aviv the turnout was 31%.
Of the 689 mayoral candidates around the country, 70% were running for reelection.
By JPOST.COM STAFF. Gil Hoffman, Reuters and Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.
JPost.com
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