The regional court in Jerusalem's decision to order a second round of elections in Beit Shemesh continues to arouse stormy repercussions throughout the Israel media. A review of the editorials and columns in the secular press reveals that almost all of the journalists are united in their opinion that aside from the legality of a few forged envelopes, there were other, far more important issues to be dealt with, namely the chareidi community as a whole.
The Beit Shemesh community this past Monday decided to appeal to the High Court challenging the decision of lower court which calls for the annulment of the results of the first elections in Beit Shemesh.
The secular press openly declares that the problem is not the forgery but the chareidim. Journalist Nachum Barnea writes in his column that "the court's decision to call for new elections in Beit Shemesh has repercussions and implications beyond the city limits. Falsification in elections is something rather common in local elections, in the Arab sector as well and in chareidi neighborhoods within cities of mixed populations. There is no real supervision and nothing strong enough to prevent such offenders of the law.
"In Beit Shemesh, the battle was especially significant because of the extreme and violent character on the part of the chareidi population which settled in the city in recent years. The non-chareidi candidate, Eli Cohen, is apparently Beit Shemesh's last chance of resisting succumbing to the hostile hands of the chareidi government. It is not foregone that even if he does win, he will be able to turn the clock back. The State has abandoned the city, as it were, along with its non-chareidi populace, and this stand has not changed with the court's decision."
At the election headquarters of the mayor of Beit Shemesh, Rabbi Moshe Abutbul, they said that as a result of the press commentary and the various headlines, this was expected. "Whoever thinks that the elections in Beit Shemesh were a result of one shortcoming or another, is invited to study the lengthy court decision. It is clear, and good, that the journalists at large do not hide the fact that the real issue put to test was whether Beit Shemesh deserves to have a chareidi mayor or not. All the other questions are only how to somehow change the results of the elections.
Attorney Weinroth, who lead the city's defense of the elections, noted that "the court ruling in the matter of the Beit Shemesh [elections] was received with astonishment in legislative circles. The [court] took a very extreme position, and therefore it appears that in such a situation, it is necessary to appeal the issue before the High Court and to do whatever one can so that the court carry out the will and integrity of the residents of Beit Shemesh."
Speaking in the Knesset plenum, MK Rabbi Uri Maklev said, "The court judged was influenced by public opinion and media commentary, and decided based solely on the basis of public relations, without any legal foundation," for its order to hold new elections in Beit Shemesh. "There is no precedent in which a court announces new elections just because a few leaders did not like the outcome of the first election and launced a media campaign and pressure."
