(23.10.) Yesterday Jerusalem’s mayor Nir Barkat barely kept his seat as mayor of Jerusalem in Israel’s municipal elections. Representing the Likud party, Barkat was just able to fend off rivals from religious and nationalist parties further to the right who had joined forces to oust the incumbent. Although Barkat survived, the Jerusalem race foreshadows a steeper plunge to the right across Israeli politics as pro-settler secular and religious parties vie to takeover Likud from the inside.