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Last update - 19:25 26/11/2008
Haredi parties absent from Jerusalem coalition for first time in decades
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: nir barkat, israel news 

For the first time in almost 40 years, not a single ultra-Orthodox party will be represented on the Jerusalem municipal coalition. Other religious parties, including the National Religious Party - National Union, have secured a seat, but none from the Haredi sector.

Incoming Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat will be sworn into office next week should he succeed in forming the municipal coalition before then.

The ultra-Orthodox parties have sat in the coalition since the days of legendery Jerusalem mayor, Teddy Kollek, who held the position from 1967-1993. Kollek's successor, Ehud Olmert, also commanded a coalition comprising mainly factions from the Haredi sector. His successor, Uri Lupoliansky, was the city's first ultra-Orthodox mayor and he too, followed suit with a Haredi-filled coalition.
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Barkat recently announced that in addition to holding the position of mayor, he would also chair the city's education portfolio.

The municipal coalition consists of 17 of the city's 31 council members, and will include five deputy chairs.

Barkat declared victory over his Haredi rival Meir Porush in the Jerusalem mayoral election two weeks ago, in a race that again exposed the deep divide between religious and secular Israelis.

In his victory speech, Barkat declared himself the mayor of all Jerusalemites, pledging to work for those who had voted for him as well as those who had voted for other candidates. He added that he would be working for both religious and secular, as well as Jewish and Arab residents of the city.
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  1.   Great news 22:33  |  Simon 26/11/08
  2.   Sad days, I`m not frum, but brokenhearted about this. 00:05  |  Harvey 27/11/08
  3.   Why are we so threatened and intimidated. 00:21  |  Harvey 27/11/08
  4.   Finally some good news 00:22  |  SJ 27/11/08
  5.   "Harvey" 00:59  |  Erich 27/11/08
  6.   harvey 01:13  |  david 27/11/08
  7.   haredi parties absent 10:53  |  Michal 27/11/08
  8.   Lost opportunity 15:02  |  Motic 27/11/08
  9.   absent 16:06  |  colin 27/11/08
  10.   #1,4,and 9 Don`t get your hopes up 21:47  |  Avi Yerushalmi 27/11/08
  11.   Barakat is an Extreme Rightist.. 20:03  |  ARTH 03/12/08
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