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Anti-social stars By Ruth Sinai Over the past year, long before the national elections were moved up, Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu held several discreet meetings with social activists. "We spoke about society, the economy, and I for one had no doubt that he had made mistakes as finance minister," said attorney Yuval Elbashan, deputy director general of the non-profit organization Yedid. Elbashan spent several hours with Netanyahu, but ultimately decided to remain loyal to his current party, Labor. Advertisement Netanyahu also met with activists from several Jerusalem neighborhoods, but did not bring in even a single public figure identified with social action. None of his recruits to Likud have an activist past: not the former politicians including Dan Meridor, Benny Begin, Yossi Peled or Miri Regev, nor former IDF chief-of-staff Moshe Ya'alon or one-time Maccabi Tel Aviv hoopster Tal Brody. While the current Likud list includes several MKs with respectable social records, social issues seem far from the party's agenda. For years, the Likud has branded itself as the party of the working-class and the periphery, while ideologically it has always espoused free-market principles. The party's natural link to those communities was cut only in the most recent elections, when voters punished it for the financial hit they took over Silvan Shalom's and Netanyahu's policies at the Finance Ministry. Netanyahu now seems to be turning to a new electorate, more middle class. Once the Likud needed David Levy, Meir Sheetrit and Moshe Katsav to appeal to voters on the ground. Now the intermediaries between party and voter are strategists, spin doctors and, of course, the media. If, in the end, Likud decides it needs an activist on its side, it can always count on Shas serving as its social wing. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Striking Iran Israel's push to strike Iran puts its relations with the US at risk. Wiring up Soon enough Israelis will pump their cars full of electricity instead of gasoline.

Read & React Zbigniew Brzezinski: Israel's push for Iran strike may hurt U.S. ties Responses: 194 Burston: Hebron, Feiglin, & self-hating Jews of the right Responses: 73 Defense official: Settler attacks could worsen tensions with Muslim world Responses: 114 Moshe Arens: Like Neville Chamberlain, Barak will realize mistake of Gaza truce Responses: 50 ANALYSIS / Israeli deterrence against Hamas is weakening Responses: 47 More Headlines 22:58 Netanyahu: Obama told me he views Iran nukes as unacceptable 02:06 Israel worried by report Iran has tripled its missile arsenal 02:09 Likud polls close after bumpy vote for Knesset candidates 22:13 Another gangland killing as underwold figure shot dead in Netanya 01:13 ANALYSIS / Iran sees Obama as worthy leader, but is that enough? 17:46 400 Tel Aviv parking spaces now wired to charge electric cars 22:55 Mismanagement threatens Israel's second most visited site 01:50 Suspected 9/11 mastermind, 4 co-defendants offer to confess 00:05 Olmert announces launch of pension fund safety net 20:39 Lebanese sources: Lebanon, Iran draw up framework for bilateral cooperation 02:25 Regulator warns: Israel cannot afford a bank collapse 15:51 Israeli envoy to UN: Obama must take care of U.S. before focusing on Mideast 22:04 Zbigniew Brzezinski: Israel's push for Iran strike may hurt U.S. ties 18:56 IDF soldier lightly hurt as tank overturns in Golan training accident 18:24 Police expose ring suspected of extorting thousands from Jerusalem beggars 17:16 India Jewish community leader: We are determined to rebuild Chabad house Previous Editions Select Day 08 dec 07 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 01 dec 30 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov

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