It’s business as usual in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv woke up on Wednesday morning to the same mayor they have had for the past 20 years, after residents gave Mayor Ron Huldai their blessing for him to see out a quarter of a century in City Hall.

With some 60% of the vote counted so far, Mayor Ron Huldai got 46%, while his deputy Asaf Zamir got some 35%.

“We have many more things to do for the people of Tel Aviv,” said Huldai after results of his victory came in. “I thank the residents of Tel Aviv for their trust [in me] and the great team [of activists]. They did a wonderful job,” he said as his supporters celebrated with him.

As he left his house on Wednesday morning he told reporters who asked what he will do now: “I’m getting up to go do work as I do every day. There is still much more to do in this city – I thank the residents who once again gave me their trust.”

Conceding defeat in the early hours of the morning, Zamir thanked his supporters telling them: “I am proud of you and the clean campaign we led. I am proud of the party list we submitted and I have no doubt that in whichever way it will be, we will impact the city life of Tel Aviv-Jaffa in the coming years, “

Anachnu HaIr leader Assaf Harel got 13% of the vote and Shas candidate Natel ElNatan some 7%.

The second vote for municipal parties reflected the mayoral vote, with Huldai´s Tel Aviv 1 set to be the largest party with 7 in city council, followed just behind by Zamir´s Rov HaIr with 6 and then by Harel´s Anachnu HaIr with 4. There is a total of 31 seats on the city council.

Questioned on Army Radio about whether he would sit in a coalition with Zamir, who he had criticized for running against him after serving as his deputy for 10 years, Huldai responded:  “A party is not a person. I usually have a big coalition.” He continued saying that you could find representatives of various groups and sectors on his previous coalitions and he has not ruled anybody out.

“And I think this was proof that money and fake news are no alternative to professional, organized, thorough hard work,” said, in another jab at most Zamir’s campaign and the media.

In the afternoon, Zamir wrote on social media congratulating Huldai and wishing him luck. “I ran for mayor because I really believe there are many areas in which our city needs to move forward and I really feel like I could have taken us there. Some 65,000 Tel Avivans thought so too, but it wasn’t enough. Ron Huldai was elected for a fifth term and will serve a quarter of a century as mayor, and we will be there, six members of Rov HaIr, the city’s second largest faction, to fight for the city in all the areas we talked about during the campaign.”

Anachnu HaIr hailed the 4 seats that they won: “It is clear to us now that Anachnu HaIr will be one of the most influential movements in Tel Aviv-Jaffa in the coming years, thanks to the extraordinary connection we built – between Jaffa, the heart of Tel Aviv, the south and north of the city.”

“We did not win the mayor-ship, but we proved that an uncompromising campaign that touches the real issues that occupy the city’s residents can turn into what defines the political debate. We set a vision for another city: a city that works for the residents and not for the buildings, a city whose leaders are representatives from the neighborhoods and not a city that is pushing the weaker populations out. Anachnu HaIr is a message, in the city and in the state, of partnership that creates a more equal and just place for all of us.”

The Olim Beyachad TLV party, which is dedicated to new immigrants, did not get enough votes for a seat on the city council and neither did Ichud TLV which also placed a focus on new immigrants.

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