TEL AVIV, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russian-born billionaire Arkady Gaidamak has put forward his candidacy for the November mayoral elections in Jerusalem, a source close to the candidate said on Wednesday.
Ari Shomer, who was also in charge of current Mayor Uri Lupolianski's successful electoral campaign in 2003, will oversee Gaidamak's election campaign. Lupolianski is not seeking re-election.
The source said Gaidamak would campaign heavily among the city's religious community, which is not intending to forward a single candidate for the elections.
The tycoon owns the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team and is renowned for building camps for refugees fleeing rocket attacks in the north of the country during the 2006 war with Lebanon.
His political movement, Social Justice, intends to stand for government posts in 65 cities during the upcoming municipal polls, also to be held in November.
