Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party chairman Betzalel Smotrich appealed urgently to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel today (Wednesday), asking him to cancel the announcement of a date for the local elections until the war ended.
In a letter sent to Minister Arbel, Smotrich wrote: “Following your announcement that the elections to local governments will take place at the end of the month of January, many reservists stationed at the front have found themselves in a complex situation.”
“The local elections and related campaigns had been suspended since the October 7 Massacre, and a law proposal adopted by the Knesset delayed the elections.”
“Last Monday, you made a different decision but the fighting is still ongoing and those serving in the reserves, including candidates and campaign staff, are still fighting,” Smotrich wrote.
He added that “an examination we conducted and this only in the religious Zionist part, of 66 governments where party candidates are running, 62% of position holders are enlisted and 24% of heads of lists are enlisted. The election date for local governments that was declared – prevents proper elections.”
“I ask that another discussion be done on the matter and the elections put off until a date determined solely at the end of the war, in order to ensure proper elections which do not discriminate against those who fight and give their lives for the State of Israel and the People of Israel,” Smotrich ended.