Sarid says no, youth say yes to Henin

By JESSE FOX
City for All was founded in early 2008 when a loose coalition of activist groups and city residents united in their opposition to Mayor Ron Huldai's policies and governing style. The movement's first task was to figure out what it stood for. Slowly but surely, it began to take shape. Eager to offer another kind of politics, the movement set up a series of forums and groups that would serve as the backbone of the movement. The different forums attracted a broad spectrum of supporters, and were tasked with formulating policies on issues such as housing, transportation and education. Another question was who would lead the party. Early speculation focused on former education and environmental protection minister Yossi Sarid from Meretz. While polls showed him to be a potent challenger against Huldai, Sarid himself was ambivalent. Eventually, he announced that he would not run. In August, the party announced that Hadash MK Dov Khenin, a prominent environmentalist and human rights advocate, would head its list. A relative newcomer to the Knesset, he seemed a natural choice, and his candidacy captured the imagination of many in the city. For the first time in years, Tel Aviv's younger crowd seemed legitimately enthusiastic about municipal elections.