Russian-Israeli billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak's party Social Justice will have candidates contending for the leadership of 25 local councils in next year's municipal elections, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.
Gaydamak will run for the Jerusalem mayorship in the nationwide local elections in November 2008.
The billionaire will tap former police major-general Arieh Amit to run in the race for the mayor of Tel Aviv.
Asked whether Gaydamak approached him, Amit said: "I will not comment on that."
Gaydamak is also eyeing to capture the mayorship of the rocket-stricken city of Sderot where he poured millions of shekels to renovate shelters and shuttle hundreds of residents to Eilat on rejuvenation trips.
Sources say that Gaydamak also plans to approach mayors who have no partisan affiliations, like the Mayor of Haifa Yona Yahav, in a bid to lure them to his party.
Gaydamak aides said the businessman has his sights set on Ashkelon, Beersheba, Hod Hasharon, Akko, Tiberias, Ramleh, Eilat, Safed as well as a few Arab local councils.
"Gaydamak stepped into politics to contribute to the weak sectors, because he has plenty of money," said Tamir Mazarib, the deputy head of the Bedouin council of Beit Zarzir. "I did not hesitate at all when I decided to cooperate with him because I appreciate people according to their deeds."