Residents of the northern city of Tzfat awoke Wednesday morning to find that they have - for the first time in history - a haredi mayor: Yossi Kakon, a candidate from the city's Shas party, won 52.5% of the vote, defeating the incumbent Shuki Ohana.
Kakon's election campaign team decided that they would not hold a victory celebration, due to the war with Hamas in Gaza, the fallen IDF soldiers, and the hostages still held captive in Gaza.
Immediately upon his victory, Kakon began a marathon of work meetings, with the aim of managing the city's most urgent challenges, foremost among them the residents' safety and replenishing the public purse.
In a letter to his supporters, Kakon wrote, "I thank all of the residents who supported me, the Council members, and the candidates who walked alongside me throughout the entire journey, the city's rabbis and the neighborhoods who encouraged and supported me, and obviously, our dear activists."
"A burst of excitement and joy are accepted and legitimate, but at the height of the war in Gaza, with the heavy prices that we are all paying, and in light of the security situation in the north and the city's financial crisis, this is not the time for extravagant celebrations.
"I have received the support of all neighborhoods and populations in the city, and that is not surprising. I came to be everyone's mayor, and I will be everyone's mayor. Tzfat was always a city of integration, a city of unity and cooperation among everyone. At the end of the day, we are brothers, and we will work together for the benefit of all the city's residents," he concluded.