A tie was recorded between the candidates for the position of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Micha Halevi, Rabbi of Petah Tikva, and Rabbi Kalman Ber, Rabbi of Netanya. A runoff will be held next week.
The two received 40 votes each. A second round will be held on Sunday evening, between 138 of the 140 members of the electoral body and it will end at 11:00 pm. The mayor of Netanya, Miriam Feirberg, a member of the electoral body as are mayors of Israel's cities, did not vote due to a personal connection.
Rabbi Meir Kahana, the Religious Zionist candidate, received 30 votes, Rabbi Moshe Haim Lau received 21 votes and Rabbi Eliezer Igra 6 votes.
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, Rabbi of the Religious Zionism, responded to the results: "I call on the members of the electoral body to support Rabbi Micha Halevi for the position of Chief Rabbi of Israel in the runoff next week."
138 of the 140 members of the electoral body voted in the elections held at the Ramada Hotel in Jerusalem. Voting ended at18:50.
The following contended for the position of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi: Rabbi Meir Kahana, who was chosen by the Rabbinic committee to represent Religious Zionism, Rabbi Micha Halevi, who was supported by Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Rabbi Eliezer Igra – a veteran judge at the Great Rabbinical Court, Rabbi Kalman Ber, Rabbi of the city of Netanya and Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lau.
The son of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Rabbi David Yosef, Rabbi of Tzfat, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, and Dayan at the Great Rabbinical Court, Rabbi Michael Amos, contended for the post of Sephardic rabbi.
According to the agreement between the Religious Zionism party and Shas, both parties supported Rabbi Halevi and Rabbi Yosef.
Over a year ago Minister Smotrich convened a committee of rabbis of all sections of Religious Zionism, that chose Rabbi Meir Kahana as the Religious Zionism candidate for the elections by secret ballot. The Minister of Finance decided not to adopt the results of the committee's voting and stated that he would support Rabbi Micha Halevi, who decided to run despite having signed a commitment to respect the results of the vote, as did all the candidates. Rabbi Kalman Ber was not a member of the committee and therefore not bound by its decision.