Residents of Jerusalem have elected a secular businessman as their new mayor. The election ends five years of ultra-Orthodox Jewish control of city hall. At the end of an often divisive campaign, Nir Barkat, promised to be a mayor for "all of Jerusalem's residents," including the city's large ultra-Orthodox and Arab populations. "I stand here and express my thanks for the great honor I have been given to serve as the mayor of Jerusalem, the capital of Israel and the heart of the Jewish people," the 49-year-old told jubilant supporters as he claimed victory. Final results released by Israel's Interior Ministry showed that 52.4 per cent of the city's voters had supported Barkat. His opponent, ultra-Orthodox politician Meir Porush, received 43.4 per cent. Barkat will succeed Uri Lupolianski, the first ultra-Orthodox Jew to serve as mayor of Jerusalem.
Many secular Israelis resent that thousands of ultra-Orthodox men shun work for religious study, leaving their families to depend on government stipends and benefits. In Jerusalem, national political parties failed to field candidates for mayor for the first time, leaving the race to representatives of two of the city's three often fractious groups. With a high birth rate, ultra-Orthodox Jews are a growing proportion of Jerusalem's population. An estimated 17,000 secular Jews are leaving the city each year to find better job opportunities and more affordable housing elsewhere.
