With the Supreme Court ruling now behind us, and the campaigns working to get into full gear very quickly for a short period of pre-election campaigning, I renew my call for calm and considerate campaigning.

Unfortunately the nature of elections means we are going to have some campaigning, as unnecessary as it may be after such a long election period in Bet Shemesh... but if it must be done, let's do it properly.

We have been given a second chance to get it right. And by "get it right" I do not mean to pick the "correct" candidate... I mean to campaign like mentschen, not lose our humanity, treat people, yes, even electoral opponents, with dignity and respect.

Campaign on the issues. Tell everyone why you think your candidate is going to do a better job running the city, why your preferred party deserves out support.. Do not be a part of letting the campaigns degenerate into name calling, accusations, personal attacks, lies and mistruths.

To that end, someone opened a new Facebook page called "For a United Bet Shemesh". If you are a Facebook user, check it out, like it if you like the idea, and spread it around. Let's get some momentum on it, and if someone can promote it to the necessary people, maybe the ideas, even if not exactly what's on the page but the idea behind it, has a chance.

More than Bet Shemesh needs elections, Bet Shemesh needs respect (for the "other"), Bet Shemesh needs healing and Bet Shemesh needs dignity.

Many people think, as is the idea behind the Facebook page, that the way to get to the healing, to have people respect each other and treat each other with dignity, is for the leaders to show the way. Let the leaders commit to clean, on-topic, campaigns. But more than that - after the elections, no matter which candidate wins, they should commit in advance to working together for the benefit of Bet Shemesh and its residents.