Israeli town torn by religion is electoral battleground

When Beit Shemesh goes to polls on Tuesday, vote may decide more than bitter mayoral race; many see it as bellwether for strained secular-religious relations throughout Jewish state.

Reuters
Published: 03.11.14


Municipal votes rarely raise passions in Israel, but this one - a rerun of an election last October - is different. Two courts ordered it after finding voter fraud in the original ballot that returned the ultra-Orthodox mayor to office.

Now more liberal voters in the town of 80,000 are mobilizing to topple the incumbent and, they hope, stem the influence of religious zealots they see as a growing challenge.

"This election is our last chance to save Beit Shemesh," said Noa Kedmi, 28, who has lived in the town for eight years.

The town 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Jerusalem gained notoriety in 2011 after an eight-year-old girl from a more liberal religious community was spat at by ultra-Orthodox men who deemed her clothes immodest. Several protests, some violent, have erupted over religious issues since.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4497058,00.html