After a 24-hour silence, the outgoing mayor of Beit Shemesh, Moshe Abutbul, has congratulated newly-elected mayor Aliza Bloch, wished her success in her new role and discussed the transition.
In an open letter, Abutbul thanked all those who supported him and said that he was considering withdrawing from municipal activity after many years, saying, "With G-d's help, I will advance things that I have always loved in the field of education and society in which I have dealt in the past."