Religious Parties Make Gains in Jerusalem

In an electoral victory that will intensify the fight over this disputed city’s character and future, religious and ultra-Orthodox parties won nearly half the seats on Jerusalem’s City Council, election results showed Wednesday.

The growing influence of the ultra-Orthodox, or haredim, and the efforts by secular Jews to oppose that influence represent the greatest single social conflict in Israel today. Antagonism between the religious, who make up about a third of Jerusalem’s population, and the secular has flared on numerous fronts, from whether to close major streets on the Jewish Sabbath to whether city money should be spent on semiprivate religious schools.

But the majority of secular Jerusalem residents apparently stayed home for the elections: Turnout among the religious in Jerusalem was estimated at 80%, compared with about 40% for secular voters.

Ehud Olmert, a secular candidate of the ruling right-wing Likud Party who has nonetheless catered to Orthodox demands, was reelected mayor in a landslide.

Two ultra-Orthodox parties--Shas, which represents Sephardic Jews, of Middle Eastern or North African origin, and United Torah Judaism, which represents Ashkenazi, or European, Jews--took 12 seats on the 31-member council. The National Religious Party, with a similar agenda, took an additional three seats, for a 15-member bloc. Previously, the religious parties had held 13 places.

The ultra-Orthodox demand strict observance of Sabbath and have scuffled violently with Jews who would violate the day of rest by driving or going to restaurants. They maintain that they are fighting to preserve Jewish values and live piously.

Extremely tightknit and well-organized, the religious parties are easily able to get out the vote. During the campaign, Shas activists distributed holy oil, amulets and candles to make the point that voting was part of a sacred duty that would be rewarded. Yitzhak Kadouri, a revered Shas rabbi, offered a special blessing.

On Wednesday, haredim leaders said they would use their council power to push for more schools, religious day-care centers and mikvas, or ritual baths.

The secular, many of whom are on Israel’s political left, complain that the haredim want to ram religion down their throats and impose their vision of Jewish identity on others.

“I am really depressed,” said psychologist and women’s rights activist Anat Hoffman, a council member who won reelection in Tuesday’s race. She said she fears that the ultra-Orthodox parties will divert sizable chunks of Jerusalem’s $500-million budget to their pet projects, making secular people feel unwelcome and uncomfortable in the city that Jews consider their capital.

“By serving such narrow, sectorial interests, they hurt democracy,” she said. “They will make Jerusalem into an ultra-Orthodox shtetl,” or village.

Other secular Israeli voters noted that they only have themselves to blame for allowing apathy and hopelessness to keep them away from the polls.

“Part of this public likes to moan and complain, but when they are called to act, they stay home,” said Yossi Sarid of the leftist Meretz Party.

Overall, voter turnout nationally was only about 50%. In Jerusalem, most Palestinians boycotted the election to emphasize their claim on the holy city. A small number of Palestinian candidates, running for the first time, failed to win any seats.