Moshe Lion, a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will launch his official campaign for Jerusalem mayor on Monday, running against incumbent Nir Barkat.
Barkat, some of whose policies are similar to those of the Likud, heads his own independent list in the city council.
Lion, currently the chairman of the Jerusalem Development Authority, was tapped by Netanyahu and MK Avigdor Liberman in June, and will have the backing of Likud-Beytenu and some of the parties representing the ultra-Orthodox in the city.
Last month, associates of Lion said he was a public figure who could “bridge and connect between the opposing factions in Jerusalem — mainly the Haredim, the religious and the secular.”
Lion was Netanyahu’s chief of staff from the end of 1996 to 1999 during his first term as prime minister.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Barkat has set his sights on at least one more term as mayor, but could face a tough battle if a candidate widely supported by the ultra-Orthodox community was to run.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
