Bibi to continue touring country
Photo: Reuters
Parties fight voter apathy
Elections enter home stretch: Parties guided by concern about low voter turnout rates; Likud to use former PM Begin in TV ads, Meretz to hand out coffee beans on beaches, call on Israelis to 'wake up and hit the polls'
Fighting voter apathy: With two days to Election Day, parties across the political spectrum are undertaking last-ditch efforts to encourage Israelis to vote, amid fears of low voter turnout rates.
Kadima held a large convention in Herzliya, where Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called on voters to hit polling stations.
"I don't understand why people are telling me Kadima will win the elections in any case, so what's the point in voting," she said, and called on those in attendance to convince their friends to hit the polls on Election Day.
Kadima convention (Photo: Ofer Amram)
"We are before dramatic decisions and this is the significance of these elections," she said. "Pick up the phone, tell people to get out of the house, if we get the power we'll know what to do the day after."
Fellow party member Shimon Peres also sounded concerned, and told the audience: "All the large things were decided when there was at least one party with 40 Knesset seats. It's impossible to run a country with a split Knesset."
The Labor party will hold its final pre-election convention in Beit Shemesh, in eastern Israel, and is expected to draw hundreds of activists to the event. Most materials needed on Election Day, such as shirts and hats have already been handed over to the various branches.
'Olmert, Left want to destroy Likud'
Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, will use the coming days for tours across the country, focusing on communities considered up until recently to be Likud strongholds. The party is also aware of the importance of organization in order to counter low turnout rates, with Likud sources saying they are working hard on producing the last election television ads, which are expected to enjoy unusually high rating.
"In the last ads we'll relay several messages. The first one is that Olmert and the Left want to destroy the Likud because they know only Likud can consolidate the national camp. They don't care if people vote Shas or National Union, as long as they don't vote Likud." One source said. "The message we're conveying is clear – without a strong Likud, there's no relevant Right." The final ads will also feature late Likud Prime Minister Menachem Begin and call on disappointed Likudniks to "return home."
Likud poster (Photo: AP)
Meanwhile, Shas MK Yitzhak Cohen told Ynet more than 5,000 party activists will be working on Election Day.
"We have a presence at almost all polling stations across the country…everything is working like a military operation and God willing will be managed with zero mishaps."
"We are waiting to hear the big surprise Tuesday night," he said. "We'll hold home visits and we're also calling homes and encouraging people to come out and vote. We're of course using electronic warfare as well, using all the technology at our disposal, including text messages, e-mails, and other things better left unsaid."
Rabbis write evacuees
Meanwhile, the National Union-NRP sent an "army" of about 2,000 teenagers to entertainment venues, malls, and coffee shops across the country in a bid to convince voters still debating.
The party also sent letters from rabbis to evacuees from Gaza and the northern West Bank. In the letters, the rabbis call on evacuees to "let the mind win over emotions."
Meretz is also engaging in a special effort to bring voters to the polls. The party will attempt to convince voters not to "waste their vote" on small leftist parties and will continue to tour across the country. On Election Day, young party activists will tour beaches, hand out coffee beans, and call on Israelis to "wake up and hit the polls."
Election fever in Jerusalem (Photo: AP)
Arab parties, too, will call on their voters to hit the polls en masse. MK Azmi Bishara said "the Arab public must come out and vote, as a whole campaign is being run in the Israeli media aimed at psychologically affecting the Arab public and making it stay home."
Meanwhile, the National Jewish Front headed by Baruch Marzel will play a new jingle by singer Ariel Zilber using loudspeakers mounted on cars. The party will also distribute a new sticker reading: "Kahane was right, Marzel to the Knesset."
On Election Day, Marzel will vote in Hebron at 8 a.m. and later proceed to tour the country. Efforts will focus on enlisting supporters at development towns as well as mixed Israeli and Arab communities where party activists see huge potential for Marzel votes.
Ilan Marciano, Roee Nahmias, Efrat Weiss, Ali Waked, and Miri Chason contributed to the report.
