Israel

Jerusalem elects secular right-wing mayor

Article published on the 2008-11-12 Latest update 2008-11-13 09:53 TU

An ultra-Orthodox Jew after voting
(Photo: Reuters)

The secular right-wing politician Nir Barkat has been elected mayor of Jerusalem, taking over from a religious right-wing mayor who held the office for four years. Barkat, who claims that the city should be Israel's “undivided capital”, wants to build new Jewish neighbourhoods in Arab East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want to be the capital of the state that they have been promised in international negotiations.

Barkat, who entered politics five years ago after making a fortune in the hi-tech industry, defeated the previous ultra-orthodox Mayor Uri Lupolianksi, with 52 per cent of the vote. His rival received 43 per cent, with two minor candidates sharing the rest of the votes.

Barkat was a minister in Ehud Olmert's government, who quit and split with the Kadima Party because it was ready to negotiate dividing Jerusalem with the Palestinians. Barkat claimed that he had "exposed" a plan to divide the city.

He has referred to the Arab areas of the city as "the Far East".

Correspondent Peretz Kidron says it shouold come as no surprise to find aggressive nationalist sentiment in the secular camp.

"We have to remember that not all Israeli annexationists and expansionists comes from the religious sector," he told RFI. "There’s a very large and very vocal sector of secular nationalists."

 The new mayor says he wants to turn the city into "an international metropolis", aiming to expand tourism, attract companies, especially hi-tech ones, and increase the city's Jewish population, in part by encouraging settlements in Palestinian areas.

Municipal elections took place all over Israel on Tuesday. Kadima won about 50 of the over 150 local councils, and there was a rise in votes for environmentalist parties.