Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., December 07, 2008 Kislev 10, 5769 | | Israel Time: 01:19 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

Old timers undaunted by glitch By Ofri Ilani "Am I the first who came to vote?" an elderly Givatayim woman asked yesterday, after reporting to the polling station before the scheduled noon opening. "Don't be silly Hannah'le," one of the station workers told her. "There's a line. People have been sleeping here since Tuesday." Indeed, despite the annoying fiasco caused by Tuesday's computer crash, several dozen party members gathered at the Labor branch on Givatayim's Weizmann Street as soon as the polling stations opened. Advertisement "After what happened on Tuesday, some people said 'my foot will never step here again,'" said Dudu, a party member for the past 52 years, "but I had no hesitations, despite the party's dire situation. I have complaints to the chairman, but not to the party." He said he hoped the party would stabilize behind social-democratic positions. "I hope Labor will hold up the banner of protecting the weak. We've privatized ourselves to death," Dudu said. Most of Givatayim's party members who came to vote yesterday were elderly Ashkenazis, many of whom have known each other for years. "This is a sort of family branch. We've had rivalries, for example Rabin and Peres camps, and in recent years Ami Ayalon against Barak. In the end they both proved a disappointment. But despite the rivalries, the people love each other," he said. But not all the voters were pensioners. Amit, 27, stood out among the silver-haired heads around him. He joined the party before the previous elections, after Amir Peretz was elected chairman. He believes that Labor is still a central left-wing party, the only one capable of advancing both social justice and peace. "When I joined there was optimism and hope, which is now gone, but thanks to Shelly Yachimovich I still think it's worth staying in this party," he said. Labor voters in Jerusalem were resolved to make it to the polls yesterday, despite the primary's cancelation on Tuesday. Most of the voters were elderly party loyalists of many years, who came early. Labor's tiny branch on Alharizi Street was packed yesterday. An hour after the voting started all the chairs in the lobby leading to the branch's two small rooms were taken by voters awaiting their turn. The sign on the entrance door showed a sample of the hastily-printed manual voting ballot, listing the names of all the contestants for a slot on Labor's Knesset list. "Whom should I vote for? Is there a list of recommended names?" an older voter asked a young volunteer. "We don't believe in intervening and we don't believe in liquidation lists," she answered with a smile. The talk of the day did not deal with the various candidates' future but with the fate of party secretary-general Eitan Cabel, whose place on the list was reserved. Cabel was seen as responsible for the crash that led to the primary's cancelation on Tuesday. "He must go home," one voter at the doorway shouted to another. "They say the malfunction wasn't his fault, that he's not a computer man, that he couldn't have prevented the disgrace. But that's not true. This botch-up, and the state the party has deteriorated to, are his responsibility. The party doesn't even have money to send out letters," he said, before disappearing into the polling booth. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Violence on film Two settlers filmed shooting at Palestinians turn themselves in to police. Warning to Iran Bush: United States will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

Read & React Avi Issacharoff: Hebron settler riots were out and out pogroms Responses: 232 Obama's 'Palestinian friend' laments catastrophic U.S. policy in Mideast Responses: 242 Israel braces for settler violence in wake of Hebron house evacuation Responses: 188 IDF soldier assaults Haaretz photographer in Hebron Responses: 115 More Headlines 21:24 VIDEO: Settlers filmed shooting at Palestinians turn themselves in 00:59 Clinton to Olmert: I will work for Middle East peace 23:36 Qassam fired from Gaza hits Ashkelon; IAF strikes rocket launcher 22:33 Israeli soldier allegedly assaults Haaretz photographer in Hebron 22:35 Egyptian paper urges top cleric to purify his hand after Peres handshake 21:49 Abbas slams Hamas for depriving thousands of Palestinians of haj pilgrimage 17:42 Infrastructure Min.: Demanding Olmert's resignation was a mistake 10:58 Report: IAEA chief says efforts to curb Iran nuke program 'a failure' 22:44 PA police: Settlers set fire to Palestinian home in Hebron 22:44 Islamic Jihad prods Palestinian factions to avenge Hebron settler riots 19:33 40 leftists arrested as they try to block Berlin neo-Nazi march 07:26 Bush: America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon 14:55 Israel eases travel restrictions at key West Bank checkpoint Previous Editions Select Day 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 01 dec 30 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 24 nov 23 nov

Special Offers Advertisement Summer in Israel Israeli style - Tzofim Chetz V'Keshet 2009 Living in Israel Studying in English Click & Meet our students from all around the world Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Car rental in Israel Shlomo Sixt Receive $15.00 from our low rates. Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved