Michael Freilich, a haredi Jew from Antwerp, was elected to the Belgian parliament after running in the eighth spot on the list headed by the mayor of Antwerp.
With the publication of the election results, Freilich sent a recorded greeting in Flemish and in Yiddish in order to thank the supporters and to convey a message to the general public.
"I wanted to thank everyone who voted for me," said Freilich. "I am the first haredi candidate to serve as a member of the federal Belgian parliament - the Knesset of Belgium. I will be the representative of everyone - even those who did not vote for me. I will be the representative of the entire people of Israel."