Israel’s High Court of Justice has rejected an appeal filed by the haredi Mayor of Beit Shemesh Rabbi Moshe Abutbol. Abutbol wanted to block the new elections ordered after widespread haredi pro-Abutbol voter fraud was discovered on election day by police and poll watchers and a three-judge panel of the Jerusalem District Court voided the election results.
Rabbi Moshe Abutbol
High Court Rejects Haredi Mayor’s Appeal, Orders New Elections
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
There will be new elections in the Israeli City of Beit Shemesh.
Israel’s High Court of Justice has rejected an appeal filed by the haredi Mayor of Beit Shemesh Rabbi Moshe Abutbol, Israel’s News 10 reported. Abutbol wanted to block the new elections ordered after widespread haredi pro-Abutbol voter fraud was discovered on election day by police and poll watchers and a three-judge panel of the Jerusalem District Court voided the election results.
This means that once the court’s ruling is officially published, means that once publishing judgment of the Supreme Court, Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar will have 30 days to set a date for new elections.
Abutbol is a member of the Sefardi haredi Shas Party but has close relations with Ashkenazi haredim from the United Torah Judaism list, as well.
Abutbol’s appeal claimed that police had not uncovered enough fraudulent votes to impact election results, even though hundreds of false and fraudulently used IDs were confiscated by police along with voter lists, poll addresses and disguises at two haredi apartments in the city on election day, and poll watchers found dozens of incidents where voters came to cast their ballots only to find someone else had already voted in their name. On top of this, hundreds of ballots meant to be cast for Abutbol’s opponent were intentionally damaged by pro-Abutbol haredim and hundreds more were allegedly stolen.