Israeli residents of Hebron held their first ever elections with Eyal Gelman being voted as mayor on September 20, 2022. Gelman served as security coordinator of Kiryat Arba and is a former lieutenant colonel in the IDF.

Because of its small size and unique status as a divided city, Israeli residents of Hebron had a government-approved representative body. Many small communities, such as Druze villages that border on Syria have similar arrangements.

 

Avraham Ben Yosef served for years as head of the Hebron community council until his retirement. In 2017, the Israeli side of Hebron was officially separated from the Palestinian Authority controlled Hebron Municipality. In 2019, long-time community leader Hillel Horowitz became mayor. In December, Horowitz decided to retire, leading the Ministry of the Interior to arrange new elections.

The Palestinian Authority side of Hebron has its own mayor and city council, currently led by Tayseer Abu Sneineh.

 

On the day of the election, Director General of the Ministry of the Interior Yair Hirsch announced, “today, for the first time, we are holding a democratic process of elections for the administration of the Jewish community in Hebron, an administration which will directly affect your future and the quality of your life in the fields of education, security, development and more. I congratulate the residents of Hebron on this historic day when you take responsibility for the future of the community, and call on all of you to vote and make an impact.”

 

 

* Gelman elected administration head of Hebron Jewish community - Ministry of the Interior

* Gelman beats Hanania in first elections for Hebron administration - Israel National News

* First elections for leadership of Jewish Yishuv in Hebron - Srugim

* מועצה רשמית: אייל גלמן נבחר לראש מנהלת היישוב היהודי בחברון - Channel 10

* Hebron’s Jewish community receives separate municipal standing - Jerusalem Post, 2017

* Convicted murderer of six Israelis elected as Palestinian mayor of Hebron - Jerusalem Post, 2017

 

HEBRON CONTACT INFORMATION