Gaydamak to run for Jerusalem mayor
Israeli-Russian business mogul makes decision after long deliberations. 'I have no doubt that the entire city will vote for me,' he tells Yedioth Ahronoth
The elections for the capital's mayor will be held in about a year.
"I have no doubt that the entire city will vote for me," the business mogul told Yedioth Ahronoth. "There's not one person who is not familiar today with Gaydamak and his ability.
"Jerusalem is a symbol for the Jewish people, and I plan to turn it into a symbol for peace and Judaism. The city will be much better, and not only from the economic point of view. It will also become a symbol of the Jewish spirit. It's my duty to defend the Jewish tradition."
Gaydamak, who owns the Beitar Jerusalem football team, made his decision to run after current Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski criticized the annual 'Veterans Parade' for the Russian veterans of World War II, which has been financed by the billionaire for the past three years.
Lupolianski had irritated Gaydamak by saying that the march made it difficult for Jerusalem Municipality employees to focus on their work.
In a press statement, sent exclusively to Ynetnews, Gaydamak said Lupolianski's "blasphemous decision" to ban the march was a "blatant act of revisionism, bordering with Holocaust denial."
Gaydamak noted that "every year, on the May V-day, the Jewish Vets, old men in their eighties, who fought the Nazis, march the streets of Jerusalem... by their valor they saved the honor of Jews. And now these old men were denied by Jerusalem City Hall the right to brandish their medals and ribbons once a year on the streets of Jerusalem they defended and saved, with the laughable explanation that this demonstration may disturb the routine of the city hall employees.
"The City Hall was all in favour of the Gay Parade, which divided the citizens, it supports multiple demonstrations of solidarity with the city, but a demonstration of old men who fought the war would be too disturbing for them.
"The City Hall proved by this decision that the mayor and his supporters do not deserve to lead the Holy City."
New political movement
Aides to Gaydamak said that the billionaire made the decision to run a number of days ago. Gaydamak had deliberated whether to run in the past, but had said in media interviews that he did not plan to do so.
Gaydamak also made it clear that he did not plan to run for Knesset, and in a Ynet interview said he supported Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister.
In February, Gaydamak launched a new political movement called Social Justice, vowing to steer clear of the traditional political-security platform to focus instead on social issues.
During a press conference in Tel Aviv, Gaydamak said he did not intend on running for a seat in the Knesset and would run the movement's affairs as its chairman.
"Politicians work for their own interest only to be elected and then to receive official budgets and serious social status," he said.
