Mayor of Jerusalem

The Mayor of the City of Jerusalem is head of the executive branch of the political system in Jerusalem. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within Jerusalem. The term of office is five years.

The mayor's office is located in Safra Square; it has jurisdiction over all the city's neighborhoods. The mayor appoints many officials, including deputy mayors and city departments directors.

History
The Jerusalem City Council was established in 1863 during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. From 1948 to 1967 two municipalities operated in the city: an Israeli municipality provided services to the western neighborhoods of the city and a Jordanian municipality to its eastern parts.

By 1840, the Jewish community constituted the largest single religious group in the city. From the 1880s onward, the Jews constituted the majority within the city. However, it was only in 1937, under the British Mandate, that the first Jewish mayor was appointed. Since 1948 every mayor has been Jewish.

Prior to a 1975 national law change, mayors were chosen by the city council (which was elected in a closed list proportional representation system).

Since 1975 law change, mayors have been directly elected in a two round system. Under this system, if no candidate receives at least 40% of the vote in the first round, a runoff election is held between the top-two finishers. The first municipal election to be held under the new law of direct elections for mayor was held in 1978.

Ottoman Empire (1845–1920)

 * 1) 1845–1847 – Kıbrıslı Mehmed Emin Pasha, whose first wife, Melek Hanım wrote a book about life in Jerusalem
 * 2) 1848–1863 – Ahmad Agha Duzdar Al-Asali (official title: Governor of Jerusalem)
 * 3) 1863–1867 – Abdelrahman al-Dajani
 * 4) 1867 – Rafadulo Astiriyadis Effendi (acting)
 * 5) 1867–1869 – Abdelrahman al-Dajani
 * 6) 1869 – Mūsā Faydī al-'Alamī
 * 7) 1869–1870 – Abd al-Salām Paşa al Ḥusaynī
 * 8) 1870–1876 – Yousef Al-Khalidi
 * 9) Triumvirate 1876–1877 – Abd al-Qādir al-Khalīlī Abū l-Hudā/'Umar 'Abd al-Salām Paşa al Ḥusaynī/Salīm Shākir al-Ḥusaynī.
 * 10) 1877 – Shaḥāda Faydallāh al-'Alamī
 * 11) 1877–1878 – Rafadulo Astiriyadis Effendi (acting)
 * 12) 1878–1879 – Yousef Al-Khalidi
 * 13) 1879–1881 – Mūsā Faydī al-'Alamī
 * 14) 1882–1897 – Ḥusayn Salīm Paşa al Ḥusaynī
 * 15) 1897–1899 – Yaseen al-Khalidi
 * 16) 1899–1906 – Yousef Al-Khalidi
 * 17) 1906–1909 – Faidi al-Alami
 * 18) 1909–1917 – Hussein al-Husayni
 * 19) 1917–1918 – Aref al-Dajani
 * 20) 1918–1920 – Musa Kazim al-Husayni

Divided Jerusalem (1948–1967)
{| width=100% |
 * width=50% valign=top |

Mayors of West Jerusalem (Israel)

 * width=50% valign=top |

Mayors of East Jerusalem (Jordan)

 * }

Titular Mayors of East Jerusalem (1967–present)
The office of Mayor of East Jerusalem was dissolved in 1967 after the Six-Day War and it has been titular since then.