Nov 11 Elections for Jerusalem's future

Only city's youth can save city from itself, writes concerned resident Amit Poni, but to do so they must free themselves from shackles of indifference and rock municipal vote

Amit Poni Ynetnews

A colleague of mine, a blogger from Tel Aviv, wisely observed once that the level of attention dedicated to the general elections in this country compared to the municipal elections ought to be switched.

The results of the local elections, you see, have a far more direct impact on Joe Voter than the national ones. Education, sanitation, building and zoning, culture, transportation and any number of other things that affect out day-to-day lives – are all connected to our local municipality.

And boy have the residents of Jerusalem been feeling the involvement of their municipality these past years: from the inept handling of the light rail to favoritism in land appropriations for religious organizations to the out-of-control housing costs and the 'ghost town' phenomenon to sanitation problems and the continued migration of young people out of the city. And these are just some of the problems Israel's capital faces.

Many Jerusalemites just shrug their shoulders in indifference, believing there is nothing that can be done to change the situation. Others lament that the Zionist camp has lost the city, and that it has fallen to the hands of the ultra-Orthodox majority.

But rhetoric and reality are not one and the same. Haredim actually only comprise 24% of the city's population, they keep getting key positions thanks to factional unity and a high voter turnout. Meanwhile the Zionist public is plagued by a divided leadership and low voter turnout.

It doesn't take an expert to work out the following: Boost the voting figures and you could get a mayor and city council that truly reflect the capital's diverse population. The fate of Jerusalem is in all of our hands.

The most influential demographic in the upcoming elections are young people. There are 120,000 of them currently living in Jerusalem; they are the city's future, and the city needs them like it needs its next breath. The time has come for this group to become a strong political force in Jerusalem, its time they demanded clear and detailed answers from the candidates regarding their plans for the city's youth.

But demands are not enough, they must act. And the first order of business is taking five minutes to determine how the next five years will look – and casting their vote on November 11th 2008. These young people are the ones who will set into motion the revolution this city so desperately needs.

So join the effort, visit our blog – 'Not Leaving Jerusalem' – where my friends and I will keep you updated with information regarding the upcoming elections, links to events, social groups, initiatives (and parties). This blog is a service for the young Jerusalem voter who wants to save the city, but doesn't necessarily know where to start.

So what can you do? You can catch up with the comings and goings at the city council, suggest creative ideas for how to get people voting or volunteer to raise awareness amongst others like yourself in the capital.

In short, there's a lot one person can do, use the skills at your disposal towards making a difference for our city and join the growing community of young Jerusalemites who care.

If we keep the ball rolling, we can make sure that come November 11th everyone exercises their democratic rights, and we, the young residents of Jerusalem, will no longer be able to sit around and complain that the future is not in our hands. And most importantly – we will never leave this city!