Rabbi Kalman Ber, an important religious figure in Netanya, was elected Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel on Thursday, after a year of postponements and a fierce battle for this ten-year mandate.
Ber defeated Rabbi Micha Halevi, Chief Rabbi of Petah Tikva, by 77 votes to 58 in a secret ballot involving politicians, religious authorities and other figures. His victory was aided by a wave of opposition against Halevi, who had broken his promise not to split the Religious Zionist vote.
This vote comes about two months after the two candidates found themselves tied with 40 votes each, which led Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to order a second round.
Although from the Religious Zionist camp and its Bnei Akiva youth movement, Ber sought support beyond his community, notably gaining crucial support from the ultra-Orthodox rabbinical establishment and the United Judaism party of the Torah.
He will serve alongside Rabbi David Yosef, who was elected last month as Sephardic Chief Rabbi, replacing his brother Yitzhak Yosef.
The two chief rabbis share responsibility for overseeing the state's kosher certification system and the national network of rabbinical courts, which have broad powers over marriage, divorce, burials and other major life events.
Rabbi Halevi, despite his more conservative orientation, had obtained the support of Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party and Aryeh Deri's ultra-Orthodox Shas party. His defeat is seen as a political setback for Smotrich.
Rabbi Seth Farber, founder of ITIM (The Jewish Life Information Center), a progressive organization, accused Smotrich of an “ethical and political failure” after he switched his support to Halevi, abandoning Rabbi Meir Kahana, who was initially chosen to represent religious Zionists.
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