The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday, 7 Teves 5774 will hear appeals challenging the recent mayoral election in Beit Shemesh. Appeals were filed by defeated candidate Eli Cohen as well as Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein. The attorney general feels that after reviewing the evidence in the case gathered by police investigators, there is ample evidence of foul play in the municipal elections to warrant new elections.

Beit Shemesh resident, Eida Chareidis notable and media professional Shmuel Chaim Poppenheim has a thing or two to say about the current administration headed by Shas-affiliated Mayor Moshe Abutbul. Poppenheim was interviewed with Kikar Shabbos, and he is quoted saying that Eli Cohen would be better for the city’s chareidi residents than Abutbul, who failed to prove himself during his first administration.

Poppenheim explains that Cohen, the defeated Likud candidate is a professional who has acquired a wealth of experience and one who has proven himself in his former position in the Jewish Agency of Israel. He feels that the incumbent however had ample opportunity to prove himself to the religious and secular residents of the city during his first five-hear term, and “he never missed an opportunity to handle himself unprofessionally and with a lack of media savvy. He is good a gold and even cute, G-d fearing and a heart of gold but lacks leadership qualities and professionalism.”

Poppenheim adds that the two have spoken a great deal in recent months and he even tried to teach him how to handle himself. He adds the character assassination campaign run by Abutbul’s opponents have left the mayor quite scarred to his core but yet he controls himself and what comes out of his mouth due to his loyalty to Yiddishkheit and tradition. Poppenheim adds the mayor will never utter a negative word.

Regarding Cohen, who is not frum, Poppenheim explains he never incited against chareidim for this is not his way. The incitement he explains came from others who backed Cohen. “There will not be a single secular person who will wish to move to Beit Shemesh for at least a decade” Poppenheim feels is the result of the Abutbul’s first administration. He believes even with a change it will take at least a decade for the non-religious community to view Beit Shemesh as a viable option.

For Poppenheim, he admits he no longer wishes to live in the city. He cites the government has allocated 400 classrooms in the city “Yet Abutbul does not know how to make it work amid all the macherim in the different chareidi and rabbinical courts. Cohen may not be chareidi but he has proven himself in the past. It is safe to say that it cannot be any worse than Abutbul.”

When asked if he prefers a non frum mayor over a chareidi, Poppenheim responded “I would like to see a professional and the fact that Moshe Abutbul is chareidi results in a major Chilul Hashem. Because of this they say chareidim are not professional an incapable of running a city.”

Ronen Moshe, Mayor Abutbul’s media advisor responded by saying “the comments are not worthy of a response.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)