Last update - 03:01 20/11/2007
Gaydamak hopes to exploit ultra-Orthodox infighting on his way to Jerusalem city hall
By Yair Ettinger
At the entrance to Jerusalem, a huge billboard depicts Russian-born Israeli billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak standing with folded arms under a caption that shouts, "Jerusalem, you deserve better."
This is not yet an official election campaign. Municipal elections are still 11 months away, and for now, Gaydamak is merely dropping heavy hints in the shape of ads in the city's local newspapers, and conducting a "shopping spree," mainly in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods. After purchasing Bikur Holim Hospital, he appointed a new management this week representing all the ultra-Orthodox streams, and promised free medical service at the hospital for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students.
Gaydamak visited the ultra-Orthodox Mir yeshiva with his tycoon Habadnik friend from London, Moshe Gertner, who left behind an NIS 8 million check. Gaydamak met yeshiva head Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, and announced that he had arranged a weekly hour's study with him. The check and statements yielded him joint photographs with Finkel, a member of Degel Hatorah's Council of Torah Sages, in the ultra-Orthodox press.
But while his money is paving his way to City Hall, a Dahaf Institute poll released by the Yediot Jerusalem weekly last Friday had Gaydamak lagging (14 percent) behind Mayor Uri Lupolianski (37 percent) and opposition leader Nir Barkat (31 percent). In a face off with Lupolianski, Gaydamak also loses: 54 percent to 25 percent.
However, Gaydamak knows something that Dahaf's Mina Zemach does not. In 2003, when the Lithuanian Degel Hatorah Party sent Lupolianski to the elections, it obtained Agudat Yisrael's support in an agreement obliging Degel to support Aguda's candidate in the next elections. Degel reneged on a similar agreement in Beitar Illit, creating a rift between the two factions. Now Degel Hatorah and Agudat Yisrael's MK Yaakov Litzman want revenge on Agudat Yisrael leader MK Meir Porush, and are determined not to let him win the mayoral elections in Jerusalem.
Gaydamak hopes to gain from these rifts in the ultra-Orthodox community. He also hears talk in ultra-Orthodox circles that after four years of ultra-Orthodox rule, a non-ultra-Orthodox mayor may be better.
"The ultra-Orthodox public is difficult to figure out, everything is done at the last moment according to the Torah sages' decision," says Degel Hatorah chairman MK Avraham Ravitz. "On the other hand, Gaydamak tells us at every meeting 'what problems do you have? I promise you it will be ok.' If we could be sure someone would preserve Jerusalem's character and provide the ultra-Orthodox with all their needs, we'd support him, no matter who he is."
It's early to tell whether Porush and his rivals are merely using Gaydamak to bash each other, or whether his candidacy is being considered seriously. Even David Silberschlag, Gaydamak's advisor who has been appointed head of Bikur Holim's management, says "people are ready to support whoever contributes to the Mir yeshiva. But there is no chance the ultra-Orthodox will elect him mayor."
Silberschlag says Gaydamak would only have a chance to win the ultra-Orthodox vote if the community is torn apart. This rupture is appearing now. In addition to making large contributions to ultra-Orthodox institutions, some of them discretely, Gaydamak has made three friends who may help him win. One is MK Ravitz: Gaydamak has financed a chain of ultra-Orthodox girls' hostels he set up. Another is Porush: Gaydamak is financing a children's school for him. The third is MK Litzman, who influenced Gaydamak to contribute $500,000 to the Gerer Hasidim hospital being built in Ashdod.
Litzman and Ravitz respect Gaydamak, mainly for two reasons other than his bank account - his closeness to the ultra-Orthodox, and his fondness for alienating the elites.
"I'm not measuring how religious he is, although I hear he puts tefillin on every morning," said Ravitz. "He is a non-religious man who has a warm and positive approach to the yeshiva world. That's rare in these parts."
Moreover, said Ravitz, "he's no fool. He knows how to settle scores. No way Porush will be Jerusalem mayor. There is no way Degel Hatorah will support him, and if Gaydamak goes with Porush, he will lose our vote."