"Conservative rabbi" Dovi Hayoun, who was interrogated by the police about holding weddings outside the Chief Rabbinate, joined the Meretz party today and will lead Meretz's list for Haifa's city council.

Hayoun, who led an independent municipal list in Haifa called Haifa Shavva (a double entendre that means both "Haifa is worth it" and "Haifa is equal") recently decided to join Meretz's ranks. The head of the Meretz list for Haifa city council, Tavor Lahat, will be bumped down to second in the list.

Party Chairwoman MK Tamar Zandberg said "Dovi Hayoun's joining Meretz at a time when the liberal-pluralistic space is under attack reinforces our struggle. A rabbi who was imprisoned because he was unwilling to compromise on representing his values will ​​now represent us in the Haifa city council.

"Cities are an important space in many struggles for our freedom. Only recently we saw proof of this in the Supermarket Law. Rabbi Dovi is an important reinforcement to Meretz's elected representatives throughout the country and I'm happy he joined."

Hayoun himself said, "I would like to welcome the joining of 'Haifa Shavva' to the Meretz list. We gladly accepted the invitation of Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg and Meretz Haifa list head Tavor Lahat to join and lead a real bloc in local elections to the city council. Such a connection creates a synergy that will lead to a model of coexistence, pluralism, equality, and a loving and caring connection to the place where we live as a diverse Haifa community."