Aliza Bloch
Aliza BlochSpokesperson

Dr. Aliza Bloch, the Zionist candidate for Mayor of the city Beit Shemesh, on Wednesday night won the mayoral elections in the city by 500 votes over incumbent mayor Moshe Abutbul.

By doing so, she will become the first woman to head the city of Beit Shemesh.

Overnight Wednesday, 1,300 votes were counted in Beit Shemesh, including about 300 of disabled persons, about 1,000 of soldiers and a few dozen prisoners. At the end of the counting it became clear that Bloch had closed the gap of 251 votes that separated her from Abutbul and even gained an advantage.

Upon learning of her victory, Bloch delivered a speech outside her campaign headquarters.

“The people of Israel look at the city of Beit Shemesh and wake up to a new hope. Beit Shemesh decided to cancel the walls and partitions," she said, adding, “Today we have proven to ourselves and to Israeli society that we respect each other and do not create gaps."

"As mayor of Beit Shemesh, I intend to engage in finding the good and the common, and together we will become a model for Israeli society, each of whom will live his life in his own way with respect for the other," Bloch declared.

Education Minister Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett congratulated Bloch on her victory.

"I congratulated Aliza Bloch on her historic win in Beit Shemesh. This was a critical campaign for the future of the city. The residents of Beit Shemesh chose hope, unity and future. We agreed to meet next week to build a plan to boost education in the city. Something new is starting in Beit Shemesh," Bennett tweeted.

Bloch, married and mother of four, is an educator by trade and has won many awards in this field.