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Arcadi Gaydamak, the Russian-born billionaire
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| February 22, 2007 |
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Israeli-Russian billionaire businessman Arcadi Gaydamak on Wednesday 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.
The billionaire businessman's venture into politics has been closely coordinated with Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, Haaretz reported on Tuesday, adding that the two bodies could eventually merge.
The tycoon's decision to found a political movement came about after privately commissioned opinion polls showed him to be popular among the Israeli electorate, especially among immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
One poll showed that a Gaydamak-backed faction would win 25 seats in the Knesset.
On Tuesday, Gaydamak sent a warning signal to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, saying he should be concerned by his decision to step into Israeli politics.
"Olmert is a professional politician and he should definitely be concerned about a man shown in opinion polls to be popular among the Israeli electorate," he said.
"I do not head a political group at present although the public regards my activities as political. It appears that the political system is in a predicament and my conduct is received well by the public," he said.
Gaydamak's move drew criticism from left-wing MKs who doubted his social agenda.
Meretz MK Ran Cohen cast doubt over the genuineness of the movement, accusing the Israeli Russian billionaire of using his popularity to bolster the Likud party.
"How ironic that Gaydamak's party is called Social Justice when his intention is to help Netanyahu to create another million poor people," he said.
Labor MK Yoram Marciano said the Israeli-Russian billionaire "is trying to by the regime with money."
"This is a dangerous phenomenon of linking capital to politics. The political system should reject Gaydamak's dangerous attempt to infiltrate it," he said.
Reprinted with permission from Ynetnews. |
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