In a spirit of unity among Torah-true Jews in Jerusalem, the
candidate list for United Torah Jewry-Agudas Yisroel-Degel
HaTorah (UTJ) was submitted last week in advance of municipal
elections scheduled for 3 Sivan. Heading the list is Mayor
Rabbi Uri Lupolianski, who also presented his candidacy for
the mayor's office.
All last week--particularly during the conference at Kibbutz
Lavi--Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel held extensive
negotiations over the names that would appear on the joint
"Gimmel" list, which promises a major victory for Torah-true
Jews in the Holy City despite hostile campaigns by anti-
religious factions trying to uproot every trace of
Yiddishkeit and kedushoh from the city of
Jerusalem.
After long hours of negotiations, the joint list, carrying
blessings by gedolei Yisroel who were consulted on its
final composition, was submitted to the City of Jerusalem's
elections committee official. Heading the list are Rabbi Uri
Lupolianski, Rabbi Yehoshua Pollak, Rabbi Avrohom Aryeh
Finer, Rabbi Yosef Lok, Rabbi Uri Maklev, Rabbi Yaakov Shnur,
Rabbi Shlomo Rosenstein, Rabbi Shlomo Malik, Rabbi Yosef
Levy, Rabbi Yosef Deutsch, Rabbi Shimon Chadad, Rabbi
Yitzchok Goldknopf and Rabbi Moshe Gura.
After Rabbi Lupolianski submitted his candidacy for the
mayoral election, he received a brochoh from HaRav
Yosef Sholom Eliashiv.
The candidates, representing the entire range of chareidi
Jewry in Jerusalem, include both seasoned askonim and
promising, new askonim. During the course of the
negotiations Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel signed an
agreement outlining the distribution of responsibilities
within the party based on expectations that Rabbi
Lupolianski, who is currently leading the polls by a wide
margin, would be elected mayor.
With Election Day less than four weeks away, the party is now
finalizing the composition of the election staffs. The
central campaign message will focus on the repeated attempts
by anti-religious factions trying to suppress the chareidi
public by preventing it from receiving its fair share of the
municipal system through calls to "halt the `charedization'
of the city."
Altogether, 17 lists and six mayoral candidates are running
in the elections. Rabbi Lupolianski is the only chareidi
candidate.
