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Meretz hires Obama e-team, as Knesset campaigns go online By Roni Singer-Heruti and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondents Tags: Israel News, Likud, Meretz  The campaign for the upcoming Knesset election is moving online, as parties set aside major chunks of their campaign budgets for Web development and look to Barack Obama's successful model. Meretz has even recruited two of Obama's leading campaign consultants, David Fenton and Tom Mazzei, who arrived in Israel last week. Fenton and Mazzei "came to Israel at our invitation to advise us on this matter. We intend to wage a massive campaign on the Internet, and we see the social networking sites and blogs as a serious tool that we intend to use widely," said Meretz campaign headquarters chair MK Avshalom Vilan. The party is considering using most of its campaign budget online. Advertisement Likud is also investing major resources online - 50 percent of its budget will go to developing two Web sites, in Hebrew and in Russian. The Russian site will be launched on Thursday. Each Web site will have 10 paid employees. About one-third of Kadima's budget is earmarked for an online campaign, which is being coordinated by strategist Eyal Arad. Kadima will also be launching a site in Russian. The party employs 20 people to maintain its Web site. Targeting young voters "Two things motivate us to use this tool," explains Vilan, of Meretz. "The first is the feeling that our potential [to garner voters] among the young population, which uses the Internet, will be greater. By definition, our voters are there - including all those who don't read newspapers and won't see ads on television." A second reason, he adds, is because "in the past few years we've been seen as somewhat irrelevant and anachronistic, and we want to change that through the Internet." Vilan says the Web content will use humor to attract potential voters, among other methods. The two American consultants will advise Meretz in the coming months, but are not expected to play an active role in running the campaign. In the United States, they recruited 5 million supporters to campaign for Obama, and raised millions of dollars in contributions. Sani Sanilovich, who is coordinating the Likud Internet project, says the party wants to conduct an "Obama-style campaign." Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu, who has filmed a series of Web ads for the site, "very much believes in the medium. Once every two days we collect questions and proposals, and he answers them directly. He's also on Facebook," says Sanilovich. Likud intends to use the sites to build social networks, host blogs for Netanyahu, Likud faction members and bureau staff, and bring in volunteers. The site in Russian will also post updates and call for volunteers, but its bloggers will be Russian-speaking "celebrities," such as authors. Visitors to the Russian site will also be asked to help choose a campaign slogan in Russian. Related articles: Elections 2009: Latest poll gives Likud big edge over Kadima Former IDF chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon joins Likud Meretz chief looks to galvanize left wing with new political party Bookmark to del.icio.us   Backtracking in Gaza UN reverses stance on claim that deadly IDF strike hit Gaza school. Lieberman's nefarious ties Yisrael Beiteinu chair said to be ex-member of banned radical Kach movement.   1.   Knesset campaigns go online 11:58  |  Marlene 24/11/08   2.   JUMPING ON THE SAME BAND WAGGON! 13:05  |  TW 24/11/08   3.   Ideology is Everything - Yitzik Shamir 13:39  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 24/11/08   4.   The left is terminally ill 15:21  |  Arie 24/11/08   5.   meretz campaign 09:15  |  judy Rapoport 04/02/09

Read & React UN backtracks on claim that deadly IDF strike hit Gaza school Responses: 117 Hamas: Israel offered to let in 75% of Gaza aid in exchange for Shalit Responses: 36 Barak okays new West Bank settlement in return for evacuation of illegal outpost Responses: 18 Yehuda Ben Meir: Claim that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza is blood libel Responses: 1 Avirama Golan: A binational Palestinian-Israeli state would only delay peace Send response More Headlines 08:50 Barak okays new West Bank settlement in return for evacuation of illegal outpost 08:12 Hamas: Israel offered to let in 75% of Gaza aid in exchange for Shalit 09:06 Minister Boim: Only way to stop Gaza rockets is to kill Haniyeh 08:18 U.S. mulls sending first envoy to Syria since deterioration of ties 22:35 UN backtracks on claim that deadly IDF strike hit Gaza school 08:38 Al-Qaida: Islam's enemy in Gaza is U.S. just as much as Israel 08:18 Elections 2009 / Likud to voters: A vote for Lieberman may get you Livni 08:49 Elections 2009 / Former Kachist: If Kahane heard Lieberman was his successor, he'd file suit for libel 08:07 U.S.-allied Arab states take Abbas' side in row with Hamas 20:40 Palestinians: IDF targets Gaza smuggling tunnels, Hamas training position 22:08 Top defense official Gilad: Israel must strive for peace with Syria 22:36 Barak: Syria-Hezbollah arms deal will prompt Israeli action in Lebanon 22:18 EU envoy: Israel must ease aid restrictions on 'hell-like' Gaza 03:49 Elections 2009 / New Movement-Meretz poll shows it losing undecided women's votes to Livni 09:56 Elections 2009 / Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's daughter-in-law is introduced as Shas leading lady 05:30 Elections 2009 / Election candidates take their campaign to Tel Aviv night spots 09:57 Rabbi Eliezer, a Filipino fifth-grader, faces deportion Previous Editions Select Day 03 feb 02 feb 01 feb 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 26 jan 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan

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