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Ultra-Orthodox Win Elections In Beit Shemesh Amid Fraud Claims

The secular residents of Beit Shemesh are demanding another round of voting in the recent municipal elections, having lost to the ultra-Orthodox by a narrow margin.
Ultra-Orthodox protesters take part in a demonstration at a construction site in the town of Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem August 15, 2013. For a third day in a row some 100 ultra-Orthodox men on Thursday clashed with police during protests against ongoing construction at a site they believe contains ancient Jewish graves. An Israeli police spokesperson said 7 ultra-Orthodox protesters were detained on Thursday during the clashes. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (ISRAEL - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION RELIGION CIVIL UNRE
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The election campaigns for local authorities brought hope for secular and religious residents of Beit Shemesh that they could finally stop their city’s ultra-Orthodox trend. They joined forces and were convinced they could unseat mayor Moshe Abutbul, a member of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party. According to official results, they lost with a margin of only 956 votes, but they claim that the results were forged and have called for holding another round of elections in the city.

Thus a week after the Oct. 22 elections, it’s as if Beit Shemesh is still in the midst of the campaign. The opposition to Abutbul is leading a series of protests and intends to appeal to the court to nullify the results. Israeli police are investigating suspicions of crimes, and have already revealed dozens of fake ID cards and arrested eight people.

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