When a secular candidate in the Jerusalem mayoral race declares that the city's annual gay pride parade will take place "over my dead body," after five years during which the controversial event was held under a haredi mayor, you can tell that the elections are fast approaching.
And so it was this week when the Israeli-Russian tycoon Arkadi Gaydamak made such an announcement during a visit to Bikur Holim Hospital, which he owns.
Never mind that Mayor Uri Lupolianski, like a not insignificant percentage of the city's largely traditional residents, was always opposed to holding a gay pride parade. Nor that it was the High Court of Justice which has repeatedly authorized such a parade, under the rights bestowed by freedom of speech, even if it is supported only by a small minority of the local population.
Nor that Gaydamak tried to mediate between leaders of the city's tiny gay and lesbian community, who organize the event, and the haredi community before the last parade.
Gaydamak, who has repeatedly toyed with the idea of entering national politics, is polling at the bottom of the barrel in a three-way race against city council opposition leader Nir Barkat and MK Meir Porush, the successor picked by Lupolianski's United Torah Judaism party.
As such, his declaration was seen as a blatant, some say pathetic, attempt to court both traditional, modern-Orthodox and even haredi voters in the November 11 elections - something which Barkat has been feverishly trying to do this past year.
Jerusalem Affairs: Running religiously
Jerusalem Post, Israel
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