Natan Shitreet filed an appeal in the Jerusalem District
Court challenging his defeat by Daniel Vaknin (Likud) in the
mayoral elections in Beit Shemesh three months ago and
calling for new elections.
In the petition filed against Vaknin, the Elections Registrar
and the Interior Minister, Shitreet presents a long list of
evidence he claims point to bribery and providing benefits to
voters, and demanded the results be annulled and the evidence
handed over to police investigators.
Shitreet says since only 1,399 votes separated him from
Vaknin, if only 700 were transferred to him the election
results would have been different. "A large segment of the
public in Beit Shemesh was frightened by threats from Vaknin
and his close associates, and entire communities were
threatened," he claims.
According to a report in the weekly newspaper
Yerushalayim, the petition reads in part, "A known and
identified activist [working] for Dani Vaknin entered homes
in the Ethiopian community and [said], `If you hang Shitreet
signs we'll send you back to Ethiopia.'" Shitreet alleges
Vaknin did not shirk from using various means to win the
elections including bribery, incitement, intimidation, fraud,
illegal coalition agreements, threats and hooliganism,
personal appointments to man polling places, the use of
municipal workers and municipal means, violations of election
laws on the day of the elections and several other violations
for which the election should be repealed.
The petition also claims Vaknin supporters handed out food
slips to the needy, checks to needy families, cash payments
and benefits in exchange for support, and deliberately failed
to enforce the law in cases of building violations and debt
collection.
The petition contains a long, detailed list of alleged
election-day violations perpetrated by the mayor himself as
well as his campaign supporters and election workers,
including ballot committee members.
According to a statement issued in response to the suit by
the City of Beit Shemesh, the electorate sent a clear message
to Shitreet. "The voter did not even grant him the right to
be a member of the City Council. Shitreet continues to sling
mud and fabricate information. Mr. Shitreet should feel free
to drop by the nearest police station and present all of his
complaints based on his well-developed imagination and leave
it to Israel Police look into the matter."
