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3 Adar I 5763 - February 5, 2003 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
UTJ Election Results
by Betzalel Kahn

United Torah Jewry received a total increase of 10,000 votes in comparison to the previous elections due primarily to the natural population increase in chareidi cities, which overcame the out-migration in recent years of thousands of families that have moved to burgeoning towns such as Beit Shemesh, Beitar Illit, Modi'in Illit, Elad, Tel Tzion, Rechasim, Netivot and others. The election returns clearly indicate that calls by maranan verabonon to vote and work for the UTJ list prevailed over public apathy, bringing UTJ voters to the polls en masse.

In addition to 10 percent increases in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, Beit Shemesh tripled the number of UTJ votes, Modi'in Illit (Kiryat Sefer-Brachfeld) doubled the number of votes and Beitar Illit posted a 57 percent increase. Concerted efforts by UTJ campaign workers in Elad helped increase the number of UTJ voters in Elad from 85 to 2,299 (660 UTJ voters participated in city council elections two-and-a-half years ago).

Since the previous elections two huge chareidi neighborhoods were added to Beit Shemesh, Achuzat Brachfeld joined Modi'in Illit and in Beitar Illit, Givat Beit was recently occupied. Elad, which hardly existed at the last election, has since become a bona fide city. In Petach Tikva, UTJ support was boosted by the new Ganei Hadar neighborhood, and hundreds of chareidi families have moved to Ashdod in recent years as well.

In contrast, significant declines were posted in Bat Yam, Beer Sheva and Ashkelon because campaign workers for other parties focused more on chareidi voters than during the previous campaign. Tel Aviv, Haifa and Rechovot also posted decreases.

The relatively large number of votes UTJ drew in non-chareidi towns located in outlying areas was largely due to concerted efforts by hundreds of avreichim who participated in daily canvassing drives, as well as regular long-term activity by various kiruv organizations and advertising broadcasts.

MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni attributed the decreases in non-chareidi areas to the low voter turnout in the general public. "Some places have a decrease in the number of voters and an increase in percentages. In the general totals there are mixed population centers where there was a [percentage] increase and there are places where there was a real increase. In places of chareidi concentrations the low turnout in the general public did not have an effect. In fact, there was an increase. But among our supporters from the secular and traditional sectors, voting rates were low."

Rabbi Gafni said concerns during the campaign--even on Election Day itself--that the general apathy around the country would affect the chareidi sector proved unwarranted. "This sector is loyal to its rabbonim and conforms to daas Torah. In this area there is an extraordinary kiddush Hashem. The general atmosphere prevailing in these superfluous elections did not affect the chareidi public, and the moment gedolei Torah came out so resolutely, the entire public was with them. We saw this in every location, in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Beitar Illit, Modi'in Illit, Beit Shemesh, and in various other places. The traditional and secular sectors also voted for us, but the voting rates among them were lower, and therefore we had a decrease in the number of votes."

UTJ also continued to receive Arab votes in various towns and cities, although support for chareidi lists decreased in these elections.

UTJ received a final total of 132,764 votes after the votes by military personnel and other special voting groups were tallied, posting a total increase of approximately 10,000 votes in comparison to the previous elections almost four years ago in May 1999.

Voting Details

Over 1,000 votes for UTJ were cast in each of the following towns and cities (the number in parentheses indicates the number of votes for UTJ in the previous elections):

Jerusalem - 38,299 (35,134)

Bnei Brak - 32,346 (28,808)

Ashdod - 6,689 (4,845)

Modi'in Illit - 6,097 (3,021)

Petach Tivkah - 3,738 (3,375)

Beit Shemesh - 3,494 (1,279)

Beitar Illit - 3,375 (2,156)

Tel Aviv - 2,932 (3,693)

Haifa - 2,859 (3,004)

Elad - 2,299 (85)

Netanya - 2,124 (2,472)

Rechovot - 1,714 (1,781)

Rechasim - 1,214 (1,084)

Ofakim - 1,080 (1,067)

The following is a partial list of cities and towns around the country that posted fewer than 1,000 UTJ votes each:

Afula - 127 (244)

Ajor - 20 (0)

Arad - 627 (485)

Ashkelon - 669 (1,188)

Bat Yam - 651 (1,463)

Beer Sheva - 784 (1,384)

Beit El - 28 (76)

Beit Shean - 180 (324)

Carmiel - 290 (215)

Chadera - 747 (704)

Chatzor - 493 (510)

Chevron - 3 (23)

Chofetz Chaim - 36 (96)

Cholon - 511 (994)

Dimona - 294 (274)

Eilat - 67 (589)

Eliyakim - 191 (55)

Elkana - 21 (30)

Emanuel - 330 (365)

Givatayim - 200 (212)

Givat Shmuel - 122 (73)

Givat Ze'ev - 165 (124)

Herzlia - 467 (489)

Kfar Chabad - 44 (222)

Kfar Haro'eh - 10 (0)

Kfar Saba - 293 (290)

Kibbutz Ein Sarid - 80 (113)

Kiryat Arba - 24 (226)

Kiryat Ata - 553 (652)

Kiryat Gat - 610 (536)

Kiryat Malachi - 134 (304)

Kiryat Ono - 164 (98)

Kiryat Shmonah - 90 (99)

Kochav Yaakov (Tel Tzion) - 247 (45)

Komemiyus - 125 (113)

Lod - 244 (334)

Migdal Ha'emek - 109 (146)

Modi'in 90 (41)

Natzeret Illit - 82 (226)

Netivot - 774 (604)

Peki'in - 36 (32)

Raanana - 394 (467)

Ramat Gan - 854 (884)

Ramat Hasharon - 355 (255)

Ramle - 154 (300)

Rishon Letzion - 799 (999)

Rosh HaAyin - 509 (130)

Sderot - 111 (452)

Savion - 7 (8)

Tiberius - 597 (493)

Tifrach - 439 (334)

Tzefas - 724 (804)

Yerucham - 355 (380)

Yesodot - 172 (186)

Yoknaam Illit - 143 (90)

Zichron Yaakov - 429 (396)

The following UTJ votes were cast in Arab cities and towns:

Daliat-al-Carmel - 95

Fordis - 21 (281)

Jassar Azraka - 65 (114)

Osafiya - 162 (406)

Um-el-Fachem - 49

Yarcha - 136

National Election Results

Total Ballots: 3,200,773 Invalid Ballots: 52,409 Valid Ballots: 3,148,364

Each Knesset seat was 25,137 votes, and the 1.5 percent threshold amounted to 47,225 votes. A total of 3,200,773 citizens voted in the election out of 4,720,075 eligible to vote. Voter turnout was 68.3%, the lowest ever for a general election, according to the Central Elections Committee.

Ahavat Yisrael 5,468 (0.17%), Am Ehad 86,808 (2.76%-3), Center 1,961 (0.06%), Citizen and State 1,566 (0.05%), Democratic Action Organization 1,925 (0.06%), Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) 93,819 (2.98%-3), Green Leaf (Ale Yarok) 37,855 (1.20%), Greens (Hayerukim) 12,833 (0.41%), Herut 36,202 (1.15%), Labor-Meimad 455,183 (14.46%- 19), Lahava 1,181 (0.04%), Leeder 833 (0.03%), Likud 925,279 (29.39%-38), Men's Rights in the Family (Ra-ash) 1,284 (0.04%), Meretz 164,122 (5.21%-6), National Democratic Assembly (Balad) 71,299 (2.26%-3), National Religious Party (Mafdal) 132,370 (4.20%-6), National Unity (HaIchud HaLeumi) 173,973 (5.53%-7), Progressive National Alliance 20,571 (0.65%), Shas 258,879 (8.22%-11), Shinui 386,535 (12.28%-15), Torah and Shabbat Judaism 135,087 (4.29%-5), Tzomet 2,023 (0.06%), United Arab List 65,551 (2.08%-2), Yisrael Aheret 7,144 (0.23%), Yisrael B`Aliya 67,719 (2.15%-2), Za-am-Social Justice 894 (0.03%).

Party Percentage of Jewish vote

Likud 31.9, Labor 15.2, Shas 8.9, Meretz 5.2, National Union 6, United Torah Judaism 4.8, National Religious Party 4.6, Yisrael b'Aliyah 2.4, One Nation 2.4, Herut 1.2, Ale Yarok 1.1, Balad 0, Democratic Front 0,

Party Percentage of Arab vote

Likud 2.3, Labor 6.3, Shas 2.4, Meretz 4.2, Shinui 0, National Union 0.4, United Torah Judaism 0, National Religious Party 0, Yisrael b'Aliyah 0.4, One Nation 5, Herut 0.1, Ale Yarok 0, Balad 21.4, Democratic Front 18.8, Progressive National Alliance 7, Hadash 28.8,

 

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