Workers prepare ballot boxes for the recent Israeli election at a central elections committee warehouse in Shoham before they are shipped to polling stations. Photo: Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90.

An Israeli town made history in last week’s municipal elections, electing the first female majority city council. Shoham, a well-to-do middle class city in the country’s center, saw seven of the city’s 13 council seats won by women, including the mayor.

Former Shoham Mayor Eitan Pettigrew told Israeli media after the election, “I am not surprised that Shoham is the first city in Israel to have a female majority. Our community lives a pluralistic and progressive community, which makes its decisions matter-of-factly and sees each person first of all for his values, principles and who he is.”

He continued, saying, “This is the reality that our children have to grow up with, each and every one can do anything according to their abilities, without differences of sex, race or religion. I hope that the example they will see in the local political activity will allow many more girls from Shoham, and from Israel, to go far and fulfill their dreams.”

Dafna Ravid-Rabinovich, who was elected new mayor of the city of 28,000 citizens, told the press, “We made history.” She also noted that within the coalition of seven female council members, two are religious.

One of the councilwomen, Ilanit Yavlon, said, “Last Shabbat, my fellow party members and I were invited to a synagogue to bless the worshipers and thank them. We entered politics in Shoham to unite all currents and denominations of the religious community. There is no other place in Israel where two women are at the top of the list that represent the religious community.”

Another, Aya Nahoum-Krapivka, who has four children, said, “I was always asked how a public career and work would fit together with raising children. We prove that it is possible. This is our message to the women’s community: Come out and fight.”