Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. Photo: WikiCommons.

JNS.org – Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat secured a second term in office on Tuesday, defeating rival Moshe Lion after a stormy election campaign. As the final results came in, the vote split 51 percent for Barkat and 45 percent for Lion.

“Over the past five years we have introduced a new vision and we have proved that the city’s true potential was untapped. We have laid the groundwork to further advance Jerusalem in this coming term. For me, Jerusalem is a life’s mission,” Barkat said, according to Israel Hayom.

Both campaigns had filed police complaints alleging election tampering by their rivals. But Barkat said upon winning, “This is no time for fighting. I call on all the sectors in Jerusalem to look to the future.”