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Tag: Dov Khenin

Meet the Candidates: Peer Visner

I’ve already introduced the two major candidates in Tel Aviv: Ron Huldai (the flag bearer of Capitalism) and Dov Khenin (the flag bearer of Socialism). However, there are 3 other candidates; one of them is Pe’er Visner, who had also made his bid for the mayor office last time around.

Here’s the transcript of the video translated to English:

“Hello, I’m Pe’er Visner, chairman of the Green party, and currently running for mayor.

What have we done in the past 5 years?

We managed to switch the polluting power station Ree’ding from running on fuel oil to use gas. We decreased the air pollution in Tel Aviv by 25%.

What shall we do in the next 5 years?

First of all, we’ll take care of the public transportation. A fleet of small and environmentally-friendly buses would make the whole city accessible. In the future, there will be an entrance toll private drivers would have to pay in order to enter Tel Aviv with their cars. This way we’ll reduce the pollution even further.

It’s possible to do it. Let’s do it. For us, and for future generations.”

The biggest critism against Visner is that he hasn’t done much in the city council during the past 5 years. On the other hand, Dov Khenin, who’s new to municipal politics, has already done much for environmental issues — on a national level — as a Knesset member.

Personally, after 10 years of Ron Huldai in office, I think it’s time to let someone else “do his thing”. My own choice is Dov Khenin. And although Huldai is ahead in polls, if he doesn’t reach the 40% mark (currently he’s on 41% in polls), there will be a second round of voting, in which he’d go head to head against Khenin.

In such a likely scenario, all bets are off.

But it all depends on voter turnout tomorrow.

Meet the Candidates: Dov Khenin

Municipal elections are taking place all over Israel this coming Tuesday, November 11th. The race in Tel Aviv is drawing extra attention this year, not only because Tel Aviv is the country’s economic and cultural capital, but also because of the interesting candidates.

This is Dov Khenin, one of the candidates for the Mayor position, speaking:

Shana Tova and Gmar Chatima Tova

It’s dimming earlier these days; wind is getting stronger. Yes, it’s autumn again, and the air conditioner is no longer a man’s best friend.

In short, a new year is upon us, and I want to wish you all a Shana Tova (Happy new year) and Gmar Chatima Tova (May you be inscribed in the book of life)!

What have we seen this past year?
  • A raging march of corruption allegations sprouting from within government corridors. Yes, former Minister of Finance stole millions of Shekels from Holocaust survivors. Yes, yet another Prime Minister is knotted up to his head with police investigations. Yes, Minister of Justice (a dear friend of these aforementioned politicians) is crusading in an attempt to crush the legislative authority’s independance.
  • Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, American Mutual – big names that have become empty vessels. The beginning of the end of the Capitalistic age? It’s too soon to tell. However, one thing has become clear, as newsman Yaron London said yesterday: “People start to realize that Economy is not a distinct science; Economy is the very heart of politics.”
  • Three children, in three separate families, were murdered by their parents this past summer in our tiny piece of land. In a country that doesn’t seem to give a damn about its social infrastructure, this — sadly — doesn’t come as a surprise.
  • Shahar Tzuberi made us all proud this September when he won the only Israeli medal at the Beijing Summer Olympics. With his modest look and his unrelenting motivation, he proves yet again that Water Sports are gathering momentum in Israel… Splash!

Gmar Chatima Tova

And what may lay down the road?
  • Tzipi Livni may become Israel’s second female Prime Minister, just in time to (presumably) greet America’s first black president.
  • The tumbling economy is raising Anti-Semitic attitudes in the United States, reminiscent of 1929.
  • Municipal elections in November are raising much public attention, with both Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv displaying an intriguing line of candidates. Will Dov Khenin live up to his hype? Will Arieh Deri somehow storm his way back into the center of the political stage, after spending several years in the confiding comfort of a jail cell? Will the Ussishkin Arena ever get rebuilt?
  • Abu Mazen is ending his four years in office this coming January, opening the door for a Hamas-controlled West Bank.
Bottom Line

We have much to lose and much to gain. Emotions are running high, and I think that’s a good thing — We are finally stepping out of our long-embedded apathy. The world is changing before our eyes, and in this Internet-entwined culture of ours, the man in the street has never been so influential before.

Take care and enjoy this holiday season!

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