Deputy Minister of Agriculture, MK Moshe Aboutubol, the Shas Party's candidate for mayor of Beit Shemesh, signed an agreement today (Tuesday) with the local Likud branch - which announced support for his candidacy.
Sources close to the Degel candidate's headquarters responded that the meaning of the agreement between Aboutbol and Likud is that Mayor Aliza Bloch lost hundreds of votes - which will position Shmulik Greenberg as the candidate who will win in the first round.
According to them, Greenberg's base is around 40% with Degel Hatorah, Shlomi Emunim, Belza and other groups from all audiences. Bloch was a tough competitor, but now Likud has made the fight easier with their support for Abutbol, whose base has so far been 20% - and has now strengthened slightly at Bloch's expense.
Mayor Aliza Bloch's office said in response to the agreement signed by Aboutbol: "According to Direct Poll data, less than 51% of Likud voters announced that they would vote for Moshe Aboutbol if the Likud branch in Beit Shemesh supported an ultra-Orthodox candidate, and in fact about 75% of Likud voters declared that they would vote for Aliza Bloch in any case."
Mayor Aliza Bloch has been touring Beit Shemesh for the past few months and has received moving support from residents of all ethnicities, communities and sectors. The residents of the city appreciate the hard work that has been done here over the past five years and want Beit Shemesh to continue to develop and advance in all areas and levels.
The agreement signed between the Likud branch in Beit Shemesh and Moshe Aboutbul is a politically cynical agreement that is meaningless, since all residents of Beit Shemesh, including Likud voters, know very well what the city looked like in the previous decade and how it has prospered in the last five years during her term in office. No one wants Beit Shemesh to go back.
"The bottom line is, the agreement does not change the fact that Bloch is going to win in the first round, but only sharpens the residents' choice between a leadership that cares for all the city's residents, and a leadership that prioritizes personal interest over the public good."
The campaign headquarters of the Beit Shemesh mayoral candidate, Shmuel Greenberg, said in response to the signing of the agreement: "We were not surprised by the agreement because Shas members have been saying for several weeks, over and over again, that they are closed with the Likud. We congratulate Shas on the 'dramatic' increase in the voter base thanks to another agreement with the same Likud party."
"In the meantime, we continue to attract residents from all sectors and all neighborhoods who have joined in supporting Greenberg in recent days, alongside a base of approximately 401,000 support from among the Degel HaTorah and Kaach communities - and we are ensuring the big victory on the 27th of the month."
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