Shas MK Uriel Busso is running for the position of mayor of Bnei Brak in the municipal elections that will be held in about six months, the Shas party officially announced on Thursday morning. The dramatic step was taken on the background of the long-standing rotation agreement between Agudas Yisrael and Degel HaTorah for the position, with Agudas Yisrael candidate Chanoch Zeibert, who served as Bnei Brak mayor from 2013 to 2018, slated to replace current mayor, Avraham Rubinstein. Due to the now sizeable presence of Shas supporters in the city, the party held numerous discussions on the fair distribution of power in the city but no agreement was reached. The move is also part of a larger picture of negotiations for power for leadership in Chareidi cities as well as municipal representation in mixed cities such as Ashdod. This is the first time that a Shas candidate is running for the position. Busso, who served as deputy mayor of Petach Tikvah for 14 years, was selected due to his municipal experience. Shortly before the decision was made, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri asked Busso to move from Petach Tikvah to Bnei Brak to enable his candidacy. Prior to the announcement, Busso went to the homes of Sephardi Gedolim HaGaon HaRav Moshe Maya, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Machpud, and HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Ben-Shimon to receive their bracha. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The post DRAMATIC MOVE: In A 1st, Shas MK Joins Race For Mayor Of Bnei Brak appeared first on The Yeshiva World.