Only half of the Israeli public voted yesterday, Oct. 22, in the local municipal elections. More than any specific candidate, the real winners were apathy and corruption. It was a no-confidence vote in local authority as an entity that can influence the life of the Israeli citizen.
The election data was most depressing in the large cities headed by Tel Aviv and Jerusalem; even fewer people voted there when compared with the previous elections of 2008. The intriguing battle in Jerusalem between incumbent Mayor Nir Barkat (who was re-elected) and Moshe Leon, the candidate of Knesset members Avigdor Liberman and Aryeh Deri, did not prod the city residents enough to leave their homes for the ballot boxes. Only 36% voted this time, in contrast with 43% in Jerusalem’s last round.
