Binyamin Netanyahu fights surge from rightwing opponent before poll

The Guardian ^ | Saturday 5 January 2013 | Harriet Sherwood

[MinorityRepublican]

Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has been forced to recalibrate his election campaign in response to a downward spiral in opinion polls due to a surprise challenge from an ultra-nationalist startup millionaire and veteran of Israel's most elite commando unit.

New tactics are expected to be in evidence on Sunday when Netanyahu appears at a youth rally, following the panicked cancellation of an event on Thursday after dismal turnouts at two campaign rallies earlier in the week.

On the advice of his campaign strategist, US Republican adviser Arthur Finkelstein, the prime minister will stop making direct attacks on Naftali Bennett, whose far-right Jewish Home party has gained unexpected momentum. Assaults on the 40-year-old Bennett have boosted his electoral appeal, analysts say.

Netanyahu will focus instead on extreme rightwing and ultra-religious members of Jewish Home who are in contention to gain parliamentary seats in the election on 22 January – dubbed by some as the "list of lunatics". Bennett has said his candidates are "the best of the best".

The battle on the far right of the political spectrum has rattled Likud-Beiteinu, the electoral partnership forged between Netanyahu and the rightwing former foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, at the start of the campaign. Netanyahu is reported to have shouted at party workers last week, and Finkelstein flew in from the US a week ahead of schedule to advise on how to staunch the loss of voters.

[Tainan]

From the left-wing Brit trash Guardian.

Anything not to the left of Pol Pot or Chavez is "extremist right-wing" to those bunch of bad-toothed Brit poncy boys.
Pure drivel.

[re_nortex]

"My positions are very clear: I never hide the fact that I categorically oppose a Palestinian state inside our country."

- Naftali Bennett

Bennett, a high-tech entrepreneur, seems like a straight shooter who doesn't mince words plus he has an impressive military background. As an outsider when it comes to the internals of Israel's politics, Naftali Bennett seems similar to a Tea Party member here in America. Is there something about him I don't know? While I'm certainly a big fan of Benjamin Netanyahu. maybe it's time for a young, charismatic leader to emerge. The fact that Naftali Bennett is characterized as a hard-liner is a plus in my book since koranimals only grok overwhelming force.

[Netz]

Thanks to Western support, the entire Middle East has gone radical Islamic. Is it any wonder that with a Islamic friend in the White House, surging Islamic violence in countries around Israel that the Jews would create a new buffer mentality as a new defensive posture? British journalism constantly focuses on “Right-wing”, fundamentalist Judaism while completely ignoring overwhelming facts on the ground about surging Islam WITHIN Britain's borders and the entire Middle East - wake up Brits! Muhammad is not coming, he is already deeply embedded in British society and culture! Deal with your own threats at home! The rot stats from within - let the Israelis live.

[expat1000]

>>From the left-wing Brit trash Guardian

Yep.”ultra-nationalist” to them is probably what was called “patriotic” a few decades ago.

[jjotto]

http://www.jewishpress.com/sections/special-features/israel-elections-5773/naftali-bennett-and-the-mafdals-last-hurrah/2012/12/23/

...Naftali Bennett is nothing but a new Netanyahu with a kippah on. He has no conviction about anything but he can talk as if he almost does.

For example, he can say contradictory things like, “A soldier should never have to choose between expelling a human being from his home and disobeying orders,” and then end it with, “A soldier should never disobey orders under any circumstances,” and state both mutually contradictory statements together with the same conviction, thereby effectively saying absolutely nothing, but making people think he has...