The city of Netanya will be holding a special election for a new mayor on Tuesday, following the passing of Miriam Feirberg-Ikar after a long battle with a serious illness.
The mayoral elections will take place between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Approximately 218,013 eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots next Tuesday at 343 polling stations distributed throughout the city.
Feirberg-Ikar served as mayor of Netanya for 27 years, since 1998, and was described as someone who dedicated her life to public service, the advancement of society, and bold and future urban development.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid tribute at a press conference, saying, “Over the decades, in every meeting with her, Miriam sought to further the City of Netanya. She lived, breathed, and dreamed of Netanya, and this was evident in the city's enormous development under her leadership.”
“I call on the eligible voters of the city of Netanya to exercise their right. Go out and vote on Election Day, and influence the future of Netanya,” Interior Ministry Director-General Israel Ozen said.
Mayoral candidates present their visions
The candidates running for mayor are Yossi Biton, Tali Molnar, Amos Mahlof, and Avi Slama, who have all presented their visions to NetanyaNet and on their social media and campaign sites.
In a poll conducted by the Smith Research Institute during the last elections, Feirberg-Ikar led with 55% of the vote. After her passing, no clear leader has emerged.
Tali Molnar has served as a council member for the past seven years, five of them as deputy mayor and two more as acting mayor.
Molnar's vision, as outlined on her campaign website, includes transparent urban management and public partnerships, reducing bureaucracy, budget efficiency that does not harm service, and hiring employees based solely on qualifications.
She wants to turn Netanya into the "Capital of Sharon," a vibrant city, even on weekends, with culture for children, entertainment centers, food trucks in public parks, and an adapted urban transportation system, including internal lines and lines to Tel Aviv on Shabbat.
She has gotten criticism from some sectors after a social media scandal where she recorded a religious man on Shabbat without consent.
She also mentions in her campaign that she worries about security and that the safety of Netanya’s residents is her top priority. Molnar’s platform also mentions education, cleaning teams, treating old infrastructure, animals, sports, and more.
Avi Slama, born and raised in Netanya, was elected to serve as the 16th member of the Netanya City Council after running on the Netanya One party ticket. In the 2024 elections, he received 40% of the votes, winning five seats in the council.
One of his top priorities is the education sector.
“The upcoming elections are an opportunity to put Netanya on a new path that it so desperately needs. The city needs proper planning, direction, and leadership that sees the needs of the residents and the city,” Slama said on his digital platform.
“Netanya needs a new order of priorities, a systematic plan that will put it on a path of growth and prosperity. Many mayoral candidates tend to make populist promises – that is not my way.”
According to him, educators, teaching assistants, and assistants are the city’s human capital, and therefore, action must be taken to promote and develop them, both professionally and personally.
He mentions wanting to promote cleanliness, more education, security personnel, cultural development, and innovative leadership.
Slama has the support of the city's rabbis, making him eligible to approximately 50% of observant citizens.
Yossi Biton was first elected to the council in 1997 and served as an elected public figure on and off throughout the years. Biton founded several associations while serving as an elected official, like “I am for my Uncle,” a charity and a sports association for the table industry in Netanya.
"All of my activity for decades has been done without advertisements in the media, but all focused on the benefit of the general public and the benefit of the city of Netanya," he wrote on his campaign website.
His platform further notes his experience on municipal committees and in senior positions at the municipal authority.
His vision includes evacuation-construction and urban renewal, empowering the education system by integrating faith and connection to Judaism, an open door to every resident to express their concerns, and leadership from the people.
Amos Mahlof expressed his concerns on social media about gaps in education. To stop this, he stated he would offer free classes in the afternoons for children ages three to 10, and affordable housing through construction, using a “price per tenant” feature, for Netanya residents only.
He also claimed on his Instagram that he will take care of the Maccabi Netanya stadium if elected.
"We are here to build a strong city with leadership that sees the people and not just the numbers,” Mahlof told NetanyaNet. “This is the way I grew up, and this is what I want for the city of Netanya. New hope and learning from each other, and together, with God's help, we will build a better future for our children and for us."