It is just a mayoral race in a distant country–but when the city is Jerusalem, and the race is this fascinating, maybe people around the world will pay attention.

Today, the race has become even more exciting than it was yesterday. Aryeh Deri, formerly the leader of the Shas Party, a young, active, and capable Minister and also a convicted felon, is now considering a shot at the esteemed position that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert once occupied.

Deri spent 27 months in prison after being convicted of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. But his trial was controversial, and he still has many followers. Apparently, he also has the same old ambition, even though he spent the last couple of years studying in a yeshiva, and recovering from one of the most notorious political scandals in Israel’s history.

Deri will definitely add color to the race, but he will also make it more complicated politically. The ultra-Orthodox were hoping to have one agreed-upon candidate–the Ashkenazi Meir Porush was the one vying for this role, with debatable success–but now might forced into splitting their votes between an Ashkenazi and a Sephardic candidate, Deri. This could help both the secular candidate, Nir Barkat, who enjoys the lead in the polls, and the very popular Russian-born Israeli mogul Arcadi Gaydamak, who’s also in the race.

All this is happening as Jerusalem’s identity is rapidly changing, in ways that make many of Israel’s citizens more and more alienated from it. The city is losing secular Jews who feel that the city is becoming too religious, and modern Orthodox are also fighing for influence and complaining about ultra-Orthodox favoritism. It has also gained a lot of new immigrants from France and the U.S., but some of them only live in the city part-time, leaving many empty apartments in lucrative neighborhoods for half the year. The Arabs who live in east Jerusalem have their own, unique difficulties, separated in some cases by the fence and by road blocks, unsure about the city’s political future and their own.

All in all, this coming mayoral race (November 2008) is an imperative one for the future of this city, and the many contenders only serve to emphasize its importance.

Stay tuned…