The party leaders' last appeal
On the eve of the elections, we asked the heads of the major parties (and Moshe Ya'alon for Likud) to give a final pitch to Israel's voters.
This is our last chance
Isaac Herzog, Zionist Union
I grew up in a home in which service to the state and society was a way of life and not a means to achieve personal goals. And when you grow up in such an environment, it's natural for you to want to continue in the same vein. And that's what I did during my military service as an officer in Military Intelligence's Unit 8200 as chairman of the Israel Anti-Drug Authority, and in the political establishment as cabinet secretary, a Knesset member and a minister.
I've always been an optimist. Even through the darkest times, I've seen the light at the end of the tunnel. But I've seen this light grow ever weaker in recent years. I see terms such as mutual assistance, solidarity, compassion, personal responsibility disappear from our national and social lexicon – and hope too. But I've witnessed this hope making a comeback over the past three months. I've met hundreds of thousands of passionate, motivated people who have despaired with the government but not with the chance to change it.
The winds of change are blowing from the north to the south, in cities, in development towns, in villages and kibbutzim; and these winds herald a revolution – from a path paved with failures to one that offers achievements and a new reality.
Bibi failed to find solutions to the soaring housing prices and high cost of living. He failed in the fight against terror and in curbing Iran's nuclear program. He confronted our allies instead of our enemies, and has left us more internationally isolated than ever before. He abandoned us, the citizens, and was concerned with only one thing – his own political survival. And worst of all, Bibi robbed us of hope.
This is our last chance. This time, we're going to shake off the fear and despair and those who sow them. All those who want change must vote for the Zionist Union. A vote for any other party could see Bibi remain in power. Give me a chance and I will prove that there is another way. You have my word: I will take on the responsibility.
With experience and responsibility
Moshe Ya'alon, Likud (Benjamin Netanyahu was invited to contribute, but declined)
"With the establishment of the state we have a steep mountain to climb. We no longer have the choice of standing still. Either we roll down into the abyss, or we move up the mountain to the top." So wrote David Ben-Gurion in summer 1954, and today, 61 years later, his words are more relevant and truer than ever.
Israel is heading up the mountain and conquering its peaks, and its eight million people are flourishing. In the last six years, when the Likud under Benjamin Netanyahu led the state, Israel has continued to make progress. Throughout that time, Israel has managed to remain stable and strong in a turbulent Middle East, as the world economy lurches and countries face collapse because of it.
This success is not a matter of course, and is down to an experienced, responsible and prudent prime minister and leadership. The Likud has given the Israeli public a team of proven quality.
We have promoted reforms in education, cellular networks, media; we have established a medical school in Safed, halted the infiltration into Israel and overseen the record IDF move to the Negev - a project of national and historical significance, which is expected to change the face of the country and give the south an unprecedented boost. This is a government of constant action. We have also drawn conclusions and will take care to keep addressing the issues with plans that we did not manage to complete or were unable to promote.
One such issue is housing: We are committed to lead root treatment for this problem, which causes sleepless nights for many young people, partly with the ongoing evacuation of IDF bases from Haifa down to Ashdod.
In the last six years, Israel has continued to strengthen its security and the security of its citizens. We have acted with determination and strength, but also wisely and intelligently in the face of those who seek our demise. We knew how to hit them anywhere and at any time, and Operation Protective Edge is proof of that.
Hamas was beaten as never before, and the Gaza Strip is no longer akin to what it was before. The operation was carried out responsibly, in a balanced and sensible manner, while standing firm on our own interests. This is a result of the vast experience that exists within the Likud team.
This firm stance has prevented the establishment of a state of Hamas in Judea and Samaria. If we had not stood firm in the face of heavy pressure from the international community, Judea and Samaria would have become a second Gaza Strip, with rocket and missile attacks on Tel Aviv, Netanya and Ben-Gurion Airport. We are not willing to repeat the mistakes of the past, even if we are vilified at home and abroad. This is a national duty.
If not for Netanyahu standing firm against Iran's attempts to develop nuclear weapons, even at the cost of confrontation with our friends, the West would not have prevented the terrorist regime in Tehran from becoming a nightmare for the modern world. This requires great determination, tremendous experience and long-term perspective.
So that we can continue in our mission, I ask you, the citizens of Israel, to keep allowing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud movement to lead Israel up the mountain.
You'll only hear it from us
Naftali Bennett, Bayit Yehudi
My brothers and sisters, you'd expect me to dedicate my last words before the election to our fight for the Land of Israel. I could tell you again that we are the only party that opposes a Palestinian state and the release of terrorists, and that we were the ones who pushed for the military campaign against the tunnels; or about our struggle to preserve the country's Jewish identity. I could, but we've already told you all about that during the election campaign.
I want to talk to you something you will only hear from us – about the most socially minded party in the Knesset. I want to tell you about the Bayit Yehudi that reduced inflation from 6.9 percent to 5.6 percent, that lowered the cost of living by 5.5 percent, that helped tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox and Arab women enter the job market, that improved the working conditions of 60,000 cleaners and 100,000 security workers, that raised the minimum wage from NIS 4,300 to NIS 5,000.
These are facts, not fantasies. Check for yourselves. Bayit Yehudi is Israel's social home.
And now, we need your votes, so we can continue to take care of you. We need to be big. There is a huge difference between 11 seats and 16 seats. A small party can shout; a big party can influence – can prevent the release of terrorists and the handing over of territory, can receive cabinet posts in which it can do great things for all the people of Israel.
Bayit Yehudi will support the national camp's candidate for prime minister, and a vote for Bayit Yehudi is a thus double vote – for a national prime minister and for a party that will preserve the principles of the Land of Israel, the people of Israel and the Torah of Israel.
A place in the sun
Ayman Odeh, United List
It was in 1992, the era of Yitzhak Rabin, that the first flash of civil revolution filled the air, as Hadash MKs and the United Arab List became involved in shaping the direction of the country. But this flash was soon subject to a campaign of delegitimization against the Arab population, when the right realized that without the Arabs, the center-left bloc would never rise to power.
The high threshold for entry into the Knesset was a way to neutralize the power of the Arabs, who were represented by small political parties. It is fair to assume that at its root, the plan to raise the threshold was born out of the desire to create two distinct camps in Israeli society: an Arab camp and a Jewish camp, forever at war, which would both drown in hatred. Those who would divide society stood to benefit the most, while the losers would have been the vast majority of Arabs and Jews, who share the same concerns as they make their way to the grocery store. And lo, there was a miracle! The parties who rely on Arab voters refused to fall into the trap.
Instead, they formed a joint list, Judeo-Arabic, which broadcasts a message of openness to the two peoples. This list is our gospel, to Jews and Arabs, in the face of separatist lists: the nationalist camp on the one hand, and the Zionist Union on the other. Our gospel calls for a partnership between the disadvantaged, irrespective of religion, nationality or gender. A partnership of those who truly aspire to peace, equality and social justice. A partnership where everyone wins. This is the message of the joint list.
For many years, the Arab population has suffered from a government policy of discrimination. Poverty rates among Arabs are the highest in the country; the Arab villages are suffering from a critical shortage of land for residential and industrial zones, and of educational and cultural institutions, and tens of thousands of Arabs in the Negev are under threat of expulsion from their land.
Nonetheless, Israel's Arab citizens have made significant gains in all areas of life, thanks to the struggle and the support of progressive Jewish forces. Israel's Arab citizens are looking for a place in the sun. They are looking for an equal partnership to shape society, a society that will benefit all of its members. But this is not enough. There can be no true democracy so long as an entire people are under occupation.
The occupation has made Israeli society violent and numb. What is happening at the checkpoints in Jenin and Tul Karem spills over into the streets of Israel's cities. It is not due to demographic considerations that we must end the occupation, but due to natural justice, which states that every people is entitled to self-determination. The end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel would be the best gift for the Jews and Arabs of Israel. We are the answer for the disadvantaged.
The MKs elected on our behalf will stand in the right place for every vote in the Knesset: They will stand strong against the pressure of the tycoons, support a reduction in the cost of basic provisions and improved working conditions, work towards adequate housing, promote equality for the Arab population and act to end poverty and social inequality in the country. We extend our hand, free of racism and seclusion, which sees each person as a person. Spring is here, a season of new beginnings. Let's roll up our sleeves and work together for a promising future for both nations.
Utmost effort, all day, every day
Yair Lapid, Yesh Atid
They asked me to write an article to explain why people should vote for Yesh Atid, but two words are enough: We care. In a cynical world, where the prime minister thinks mainly about himself, where politicians purchase billboards about the job that they want, they are interested in, and political parties produce online videos that criticize all the other parties - we care.
It is a deep and burning concern, of people who gave up a comfortable life to fight for the country. To fight for its nature, its priorities, its citizens' cost of living, for one simple but painful question: Could it be better here?
I believe - with all my heart – that the answer is yes. We spent one year and eight months in government, in which we proved that a determined group of people can actually move things here quite a bit.
Despite the political system's opposition to the law on equality of burden, we reduced the government to 18 ministers, ending the corrupt institution of "ministers without portfolio." And thus we saved hundreds of millions of shekels that could go to day care centers and hot meals for school students from weak sectors of the population. We saved the Israeli economy after we inherited a 40 billion-shekel "hole" in the state budget, a rampant deficit and climbing unemployment.
We were able to pull the wagon out of the mud and submit the 2015 budget, in which some NIS 10 billion was added for social issues, such as smaller class sizes and raising 190,000 senior citizens above the poverty line. So yes, certainly, things here could be better. This is also why Benjamin Netanyahu stopped us in the middle of our work, because he cannot let anyone around him succeed. He brought everything to a halt and went to elections. And Netanyahu does not even think that there is anything wrong with that.
This is the political system in which he has thrived throughout his life (while other people thrived less). This is what Likud and Labor governments are used to; why would he want to change it? Why would any of the old-fashioned politicians ever want change? They don't, but we do. Things can - and must - be better here. And we have the tools. We have made mistakes, but we have learned from them, and we must not put someone new at the helm who will make the same mistakes again.
We have just finished laying the foundations, and it would foolish indeed to break them up and send someone else to start from scratch. As you stand in the polling booth, ask yourself one question: Who will work the hardest for me? Don't vote according to the math of the coalition, but vote according to your values. Don't vote for those looking for a position, but for those looking to take action.
Vote for those who will fight to get Israel back up to one of the world's top ten countries in education, for those who will rehabilitate the health system, cut the cost of your shopping cart at the supermarket, who will go to bat for the senior citizens, who will push for a regional settlement that will allow us to separate from the Palestinians while keeping Jerusalem and the strict security arrangements, who will do their utmost, all day, every day, to make things better here. That is Yesh Atid. Why? Because we care.
End of the conflict vs. the end of the month
Moshe Kahlon, Kulanu
So many parties during the election campaign have spent so much money in order to distract us, confuse us and divert our attention from the main focus. Ultimately, we all know what these elections are really about. We all know how expensive and difficult it is to live here. We all know how impossible it is to make ends meet.
We all know how many promises the politicians made and how many disappointments followed in their wake. Parties that until a week ago ran the state are now telling us how successful they were, it wasn't them, and how it's not their fault. And you, what do you think? Has your life improved? Has it become easier? Or cheaper? Have you managed to pay off your mortgage? Have you been able to buy an apartment? You tell me, is your life better, or harder? What really bothers us all is the fact that nothing has really changed here for a long time.
So I left the Likud and embarked on a new path. I realized it is important to me to promote social issues, and because of that I joined the Likud, but these issues are no longer of interest to the party leaders. Today everyone knows that the true Likudnik votes Kulanu. Because of this, when everyone is talking about the right and the left, I talk to you and about your life.
When everyone is making promises, I commit. When everyone else is in despair, I offer hope. I pledge to fight the housing crisis, I pledge to fight the tycoons and banks, I pledge to fight the cost of living and the monopolies, without fear and without hesitation. I pledge to serve you and fight for you, to fight and win! And finally succeed where all have failed. After the elections, I will demand the post of finance minister, where you can really set and lead a policy that has the individual at its center.
A policy that sees young couples, the working women and the mothers; a policy that works for the middle class and the weaker sectors; a policy that serves the interests of all of us. In order to demand and receive the finance portfolio, I need your support and your vote – and those of your family - at the polls. That is why it is so important that you vote, primarily so you do not lose hope and faith that it can be better here. You can win, but you can never give up.
I call on each and every one of you to ask yourself, as you stand in the booth on Tuesday, who do you believe in? And who will really serve you? On Tuesday, ask yourself - how many times have you had a call from the White House and how many times have you had a call from the bank? How many times have you talked about Mahmoud Abbas and how times about your mortgage? Which is more pressing – reaching the end of the conflict or the end of the month? How many times have you made promises to your children that you could not keep? How many times have you promised them that things would be okay? It won’t be okay.
And the politicians still promise, and you still hope, and you still believe. And you are still debating whether to vote for Kulanu? If you believe in me, vote for me. I need your vote to make things better here for all of us.
Not a state of Tel Aviv
Aryeh Deri, Shas
Once every few years, Israeli citizens have the right to re-shape their lives, to think of where they came from and where they want to go. The State of Israel is a state of immigrants. We arrived here after thousands of years of exile, and together we built a magnificent country due to mutual respect, concern for the weak and respect for the elderly. Today, 67 years later, it seems that something has gone wrong. This is not what Israel's founding generation envisaged.
I propose that you think about a different reality. Imagine a country where there are not such massive divides between social classes. Imagine a country where children do not go to bed hungry and are not ashamed in front of their classmates that they do not have a sandwich again today.
Where parents can provide for their families with dignity and do not hang their heads when they return home from work, because they know that the money they earned will not be enough to last the month. A country where you can shop at the grocery store without needing a mortgage and a mother does not have to give up her own food for the sake of her children because it is too expensive.
Imagine a country where your children come home from school understanding the meaning of honoring their parents, and of loving your neighbor as yourself, and of respect for others, the significance of Jewish tradition. Imagine an education system that teaches all the heroes and martyrs of the nation - both Ashkenazi and Sephardi – the writers, the poets and the rabbis of everyone.
Imagine a country in which all citizens feel equal and different cultures have the right to express themselves without anyone belittling anyone else. A country in which no one has to change his surname to feel that he belongs. Imagine a country in which a person can buy an apartment even if they were not born with a silver spoon, and those who cannot are entitled to public housing.
Imagine no State of Tel Aviv, but a state in which the residents of the periphery in the north and the south believe that they can succeed if they try hard enough, and know that success is not beyond them. There is an equal chance for all in education, academia and the workplace. This is not a dream; it is the reality that lies just around the corner.
I will never forget the will of Maran, who held my hand and asked in tears that the Shas movement continue to take care of the poor and the wretched. And in order to maintain this objective, we ask you for your vote. We will preserve the tradition of Israel. We will ensure that in the Jewish state, no Jew is never ashamed of making Kiddush, laying tefillin or kissing the mezuzah. We will make sure you can earn a livelihood with dignity. We will raise the minimum wage, reduce VAT on basic commodities and reduce the price of public housing.
As Shas chairman, I promise you that I will maximize your vote and spearhead a new agenda in the country, to bring to the government a vision of Torah and tradition, to implement a path of rapprochement, altruism and aiding the weak and unfortunate. A Shas strong is a strong society. Think about it, imagine and believe.
We need strong leadership
Avigdor Lieberman, Yisrael Beytenu
Every nation in the world must always have its face turned toward the future. Every leader must strive to provide a better future for the citizens of the country. But every nation must also learn from the past, its history, and who knows better than the Jewish people how important is its history and the lessons learned from it?
The State of Israel today – Israel 2015 – is a prosperous and successful nation whose wonderful citizens are proud of their connection to their country. In Israel 2015, the security of the state is placed in the hands of its magnificent young people, who serve with dedication and professionalism in the IDF.
Israel 2015 is filled with brilliant young people and adults, whose innovation and drive lead the way in high-tech, the sciences, education and medicine, and who help defend the country through creative solutions such as Iron Dome. Israel 2015 is home to millions of proud immigrants who by choice have decided to build their future here. But there are things that I miss from the Israel of old.
I grew up in the former Soviet Union, hearing the heroic tales from Israel of 1948, 1967, and 1973 – a strong Israel with a determined and bold leadership. Israel was respected in the world and feared by its enemies. If you attacked Israel, you would pay the price. Israel knew that if you sought peace, you first needed to prepare for war. So we made peace with Egypt, out of a position of power. I remember that feeling when I arrived in Israel – we are strong, and we know what we want. We have to return to that.
To stop Iran – we have to return to that. To defeat Hamas and Hezbollah – we have to return to that. The world needs to know that you do not take us on. That if someone attacks us, they get the death penalty. That terrorists will not be freed in a deal so that they can return to murder, but are destroyed. Everyone will know that Jews can never again be attacked because they are Jews.
We have to restore the deterrence and the ability to make decisions. In Israel too, it has to be clarified for those in need of clarification that this is the Jewish state. Israel is firstly the state of the Jewish people. It is not a state of all its citizens; it is a Jewish state in which all loyal citizens have rights. Those who are not loyal have no place here. No loyalty means no citizenship. For this purpose, we need a strong and responsible leadership that can make decisions without hesitation.
This is what the leadership of Yisrael Beytenu, with me at its head, has to offer. It touches on every aspect of life – security, economy, education and welfare. It all begins and ends with a leadership that knows what it needs to be, knows how to make decisions and knows to act. A strong leadership that does not hesitate in its choices and can defeat Hamas. A leadership that will always let the IDF win, let Israel win. Therefore anyone who wants to keep a Jewish and Zionist Israel, a strong Israel, should choose Yisrael Beytenu.
Because I have proved over the years that I know how to make decisions, and I am not afraid of tackling challenges. I have proved that I mean what I say. My word is my bond.
Society is not a trend
Yaakov Litzman, United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism has taken national responsibility for the future values of the Jewish people. In a country where there is almost no difference between right and left, between the center and the periphery, a place where there is a growing permissiveness and bankrupt education, it is necessary to have those who take care of the soul, of tradition; who value the Sabbath as an historic day of rest; who see the importance the Jewish family throughout the generations – safeguarding our identity as Jews.
These would all be casualties if there were no UTJ to uphold them, with faith and love, with tolerance and without bias. The mainstream media tends to label us as sectoral and only serving our own public. But a quick review of the performance of UTJ's representatives in the Knesset, committees and any position of influence reveals the exact opposite. My friends, the UTJ Knesset members, represent social positions and fight for justice for the weak and neglected, and for any other person who asks, regardless of religion, race or gender.
UTJ has a tradition of action and results on the ground. Just ask anyone in the know to name the most dedicated and committed parliamentarians, and you will be told that the United Torah Judaism MKs lead the pack. As deputy health minister, I concerned myself with a clear social policy for all of the citizens of Israel. I led the reforms of dental care for the children of Israel, enjoyed by all children from all sectors.
I also led a significant change in the health system for everyone; I doubled the number of MRI machines in Israel's hospitals, instituted pharmaceutical price reductions for the chronically ill, initiated mental health reforms, formulated a national plan for long-term care, through which I will battle to bring historic justice to Israel's elderly population. These were actions to benefit the entire public, and were really not sectarian. In the same way, my fellow faction lawmaker Moshe Gafni, as chairman of the Finance Committee, won praise for successful performance and for his concern for the general population in Israel.
To us, society is not a gimmick or a card up our sleeve to win electoral votes. It is a public service and a personal commitment. Society is not a trend, it is a mitzvah. A strong United Torah Judaism will succeed in placing the values of the Jewish people at the center of the national agenda. United Torah Judaism will ensure that any government formed has to take into account those who struggle – the hungry children, the large families, the collapsing health care system. Voting for UTJ means knowing that you have cast a vote for the sake of all those who cannot manage alone, who are in need, who are not given a thought – the minorities, the poor, those at the lowest rung of our society.
Take a look at us. We are different. We grew up and were raised differently. But the things we have in common and that unite us are greater than those that divide us. We are fighting for those same values that are important to the general public. Jewish identity is important for all of us in this great nation. Let us discover responsibility for the crumbling values of the country. Let us be a real social force that has not replaced and has not expired worn itself out. Voted UTJ with a soul, with values and with tradition.
Courage to defy consensus
Zahava Gal-On, Meretz
In the 1970s, Shulamit Aloni came to speak at a rally in Petah Tikva. I was a young girl, a member of the scouts, and suddenly my life changed. Who in Israel was talking about human rights? Who was talking about equality and democracy? The Israel in which I grew up was very militaristic, a country where full faith was placed in leaders and generals, even when they led us into the most difficult war in our history.
Meretz (Ratz as it was then) already existed - innovative, ground-breaking and unconventional. Meretz fought for women's rights and against trafficking in women, abolished the ban on homosexual intercourse and led the LGBT revolution, led the way on public housing and led the way on the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. Wherever there was injustice, there was Meretz.
Meretz worked both for its electorate and no less for those who did not vote for it. Meretz is so closely identified with social struggles that it gets taken for granted. I hear from all sides that it is obvious that Meretz fights for democracy, fights against racism and discrimination, fights for what we believe in. It is not even headline news. But unfortunately, we are in a difficult situation and nothing should be taken for granted.
All those who today dreaming of "Just not Bibi" may be won over by new pastures and end up eliminating Meretz – and with it the chance to replace Bibi, as the center-left bloc will have lost four seats. Today our voters do not have the privilege of saying, "We love Meretz, but will strengthen the largest party." This time, it all depends on the voters – if you do not vote for Meretz, there will not be a Meretz. And those who take Meretz for granted are liable to discover a Knesset without Meretz. This almost happened when the left-wing voters rushed to vote for Kadima under Livni; they did make it the largest party, but nonetheless got Bibi as prime minister.
The Labor party was the fig leaf for Netanyahu's party and Kadima was a weak opposition, out of which came the Nationality Law and the rest of the terrible bills. A Knesset with Meretz is a Knesset without courage, a fragmented Knesset that does not dare to break tired conventions, a Knesset that does not dare to fight for the weak or dare to swim against the tide. The Netanyahu era will be remembered as a black period in Israeli society, from which it will take a long time to recover.
Believe me, I know how exhausted the Israeli public is of Netanyahu, and like you I believe that we have a chance to replace him; but it will only be possible to do so given one basic and obvious condition, something the Zionist Union already understands: To replace Bibi, you need Meretz. And if, God forbid, we do not replace him, Meretz will form the toughest and most difficult opposition. We will not sit in his government and act as his fig leaf. So I say to all those who believe in equality and democracy, anyone who wants a real chance for change: Do not dither, vote Meretz.
The government's mezuzah
Eli Yishai, Yachad
There is no Jew who never visited the Western Wall. There is no substitute for the sense of holiness and togetherness at this thrilling place. Remember the feeling of togetherness during Operation Protective Edge? How an entire nation united for the good of the soldiers at the front, for the good of those citizens who suffered from the threat of Hamas' murderous rockets. One people, united.
It is a great feeling to be part of something big, with no barriers or fences. This is the Yachad party. This is a revolution of unity that we are leading. Everyone together, all ethnic groups and degrees of religiosity. Unity of those who seek and love the Torah, the nation and the Greater Land of Israel, even in the political arena. A million people followed the coffin of Maran at his funeral, which united all parts of the nation. Millions in Israel and around the world mourned the passing of this genius and giant of his generation.
Yachad unites all of these people. I led the Shas movement for over 13 years in the way of Maran, and as chairman of the party, I will continue in the Knesset and in the next government. My integrity and credibility is not in doubt. And never, unlike some other party leaders, was there ever a stain on my reputation.
I, unlike others, have always been a right-winger. The Yachad party creates a right-wing religious front. From day one, we will recommend Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister. We never faltered and we never zigzagged. People who vote for another religious party might find Tzipi or Buji as prime minister, with external support from Hanin Zoabi and Ahmed Tibi.
Yachad will be the Likud's mezuzah in the next government. Bayit Yehudi, which was supposed to be the government's Jewish flak jacket, chose to give up this job and instead allied with Lapid and Livni. The status quo has been compromised. We will strengthen the Jewish identity of Israel, strengthen the world of Torah and promote settlement in all parts of the State of Israel.
We will restore child benefits and find a solution to the housing problem. During my time as interior minister, I approved the construction of thousands of housing units in Ramat Shlomo and Har Homa, in response to the housing crisis in the country in the wake of the social protests. I spearheaded the earthquake preparation plan, which gave many families inhabitable apartments, the mandatory pension law and the Accessibility Act, which changed the lives of the handicapped. And in cooperation with the prime minister, I led the construction of the fence against infiltrators in the south.
Yachad will keep fighting for the welfare of the residents of south Tel Aviv and other Israeli citizens. We have a great list. Yoni Chetboun, our no. 2, is a hero of Israel, recipient of a chief of staff citation for the heroic battle of Bint Jbeil, in which his friend Major Roi Klein was killed, and he took command. Chetboun has paid dearly for his opposition to anti-religious laws in the Knesset.
Rabbi Michael Ayash, our no. 3, is the founder and director of a religious education network that has educated tens of thousands of children and teenagers, and our no 4, Baruch Marzel, will restrain Israel haters such as Hanin Zoabi. We will be the surprise of the elections.
