Monthly Archives: November 2018

Jerusalem’s mayoral elections are over. There are those who are happy, there are those who aren’t. Two grueling rounds of elections, after (for some) months of campaigning. But what’s for sure, now it’s time to get down to work. We mentioned here about the Jerusalem Covenant, a document that was signed by all Jerusalem mayoral candidates before the first round of elections. We also reported about the exciting event we held with all the mayoral candidates before the first round.

Ofer Berkowitz and Moshe Lion, running in the second round of Jerusalem’s mayoral elections

Now it’s our – and your – turn to make sure that those who signed live up to their promise. We’re planning a post-election event we’re planning to make sure that the new City Council and mayor act in the residents’ interests. Leading up to that, we’ve made a little video (in Hebrew) emphasizing this need:

We plan to make sure that the Jerusalem Covenant was not only full of pre-election promises, but a real guide for the new mayor and City Council. Our Michal Shilor, coordinator for our Grassroots Campaign for Tolerance, wrote this opinion piece (in Hebrew) on MyNet, the local online news site for Jerusalem news, operated by the Ynet platform:

Now it’s our – the activists’ – turn to show that these elections didn’t break us, nor did they split us apart. We will continue to do our part so that City Council members will understand that we, the residents, own the keys. We need to be partners in everything that goes on here, every day. And our collective voice demands – put shallow identity politics aside and let Jerusalem, in its wealth of diversity, to develop…If we stand up and continue to work, we’ll forge a path for all Jerusalemites across the spectrum, together.

Our director, Hagai Agmon-Snir, also wrote about this on Mynet, two days before the second round:

The Jerusalem Covenant proposes a new language. It talks about a flourishing and developing city, benefiting all its residents. It seeks to recognize that Jerusalem has a cooperative good, far beyond identity politics. The Jerusalem Covenant entrenches that approach that there can be social solidarity in Jerusalem – and that it really is important for the modern orthodox population that life be good for the Ultra-Orthodox, for secular Jews, and for Arabs. (You can change around the order of the different groups if you like.) It says that in a city like Jerusalem, resident involvement is a resource that the Municipality needs to encourage, and not to discourage. And of course, it expects the Municipal leadership to be human, fair, decent, mentchadik.

Journalist Peggy Cidor quoted Hagai in this Jerusalem Post article, which speaks about what the new mayor should do in his term:

HAGAI AGMON-SNIR, director of the Jerusalem Intercultural Center on Mount Zion, emphasizes the need to include civil activists, valuing them “not as annoying individuals but rather as partners for the sake of the city.” He says that new approaches to some of the major issues in the city are required.

“The status quo has become a way to freeze everything and prevent any initiative. We, at the Center, have been working on a new pact that will provide the tools necessary to promote more understanding, more options and opportunities to meet the needs of all the sectors. That is what this city needs now.”

We’ve already had a number of city council members, from a range of parties and lists, sign the Covenant, from the Ultra-Orthodox Agudat Yisrael

Agudat Yisrael signing the Jerusalem Covenant

To the left-leaning secular Meretz party.

Meretz signing the Jerusalem Covenant

Many thanks to the Leichtag Foundation, Charles and Lynn Shusterman Family Foundation,  the Natan Fund and the Jerusalem Foundation for their support for our efforts to increase tolerance in Jerusalem.

We believe that the gospel will come from Jerusalem – how to operate a complex city, with diverse populations living side by side, even if not always together, but in peace with and with compassion for my neighbors from other groups and identities.

Hard at work at the Inbal Hotel on October 28

On Sunday, October 28, a day and a half before the mayoral elections, we held a special meeting for future City Council members and residents from the entire spectrum of Jerusalem to discuss practical implications of the Jerusalem Covenant, and its future influence on our city and our everyday lives. Over 70 people gathered at the Inbal Hotel, and we talked, political opponents and people from all sectors of society. We discussed a range of issues in respectful manner. We reached a number of practical understandings that we believe will guide the future City Council in their work for Jerusalem – and for all Jerusalemites – on an everyday level.

The Jerusalem Covenant

What is the Jerusalem Covenant?

In this local election year, we felt that it is especially pertinent to put tolerance on the public agenda. Not only for all candidates to work to better all parts of Jerusalem, but also for them to see, hear and attempt to understand the needs of all Jerusalemites, no matter their political platform. For this purpose, we have created the Jerusalem Covenant. We brought the Covenant to all four mayoral candidates, who signed wholeheartedly.

All four mayoral candidates signing the Jerusalem Covenant

The Jerusalem Covenant has four parts:

As I begin my term as Mayor of Jerusalem, I promise to adopt the following four principles, which will help me as Mayor to see all Jerusalem residents, and to integrate these principles into all everyday activities of the Municipality:

1. See everyone. People from different groups need different services. Thus, Jerusalem will be adapted to the needs of all residents and welcoming to all people.

2. Listen to everyone. In Jerusalem, residents are involved and are an important source of varied initiatives. Thus the Municipality will encourage the partnership of residents. It will be transparent in its actions and will encourage respectful public discourse.

3. Leader of everyone. Jerusalem has national and international importance, and there are many social complexities among its residents. Thus, Jerusalem will be run in the utmost professional manner, for the benefit of its residents, not by political or identity-driven agendas.

4. Mayor of everyone. Jerusalem will blossom under a leadership that is respected by everyone. Thus, the city leaders will show integrity and fairness.

“See me” Jerusalem Covenant

We’ve been running a local ad campaign (see above), which also included a video (see further down this post). Since all candidates signed the Covenant, after the elections we aim to have it included on the front page of the coalition agreements, and to continually follow up with city council members to encourage them to operate according to the Covenant.

Ofer Berkowitz and Moshe Lion, running in the second round of Jerusalem’s mayoral elections

The October 28 event, with all the major mayoral and city council candidates and active residents from around the city, was a peak event. “It was pretty amazing that [many of the mayoral and city council candidates] sat together with residents and wrote our future together,” noted our own Michal Sherez Shilor, one of the event’s organizers. “It was an exciting demonstration of democracy that I’ve never seen before, and the best – and most natural – part, is that it took place davka in Jerusalem. Davka the place that everyone thinks is torn and divided, violent, angry; where each sector builds walls. It was amazing how each and every one – both residents as well as candidates – really focused on how he or she could make others’ lives better. To break out of his or her own personal box and think of others.”

Shaike El-Ami, Director of the Ginot Ha’Ir Community Council and one of the initiators of the evening, said, “That so many candidates came out – and just one and a half days before the elections – it was a miracle. It didn’t happen for no reason – it happened because people understand that something special is happening here.”

Journalist Peggy Cidor commented on Facebook, “These are really amazingly positive things….And flowers to you, the organizers…That is how you love Jerusalem.” She even opened her Jerusalem Post column, “This Week in Jerusalem” with a summary of the Covenant’s four principles (see here for the link):

A coveted covenant

A group representing several organizations in the city drew up a declaration of principles to guide mayoral candidates this year. Michal Shilor and Hagai Agmon-Snir of the Intercultural Center on Mount Zion played a leading role in the drafting of the document, whose four key principles are:

1) The mayor should take into consideration and provide for the needs of all residents in terms of municipal services. No resident or sector should be excluded.

2) The municipality should be attentive to initiatives promoted by activists, should encourage activists and include them in its projects.

3) The leadership should avoid being rooted in narrow political interests.

4) The mayor should seek to work with a large team that includes as many parties active in the city as possible.

Only candidates who accepted the covenant would get the support these associations; all four final candidates endorsed and signed it.

Fay Sukenik, one of the facilitators, noted, “To come together around joint needs – because in the end that’s what Jerusalem residents want. It was a fascinating evening. I was happy to take part!”

And here’s the Hebrew Facebook post summarizing the meeting:

As promised, here’s the video with a short but poignant message for the next mayor: “See us!”

Thank you everyone for your support and participation, and to the Leichtag Foundation, Charles and Lynn Shusterman Family Foundation,  the Natan Fund and the Jerusalem Foundation for their support for our efforts to increase tolerance in Jerusalem.