Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., December 10, 2008 Kislev 13, 5769 | | Israel Time: 01:58 (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

No back-slapping for Benny Begin By Nadav Shragai Likud Knesset candidate Benny Begin transmitted a recorded message to some 100,000 registered party members yesterday asking them to vote for him in the primary. Begin said in the message that supporters must not take it for granted that he would be elected to a realistic slot on the party's Knesset list. Advertisement Begin and his small primary campaign team feared that Likud voters would assume he would be elected to a high slot on the list in any case, and prefer to vote for other candidates. Begin began his day in Haifa, went on to Netanya, Bat Yam, Rishon Letzion, Ashdod and Be'er Sheva, ending with Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Begin did not make election deals with anyone. His activists were all volunteers. When hundreds of voters complained about the long line at the polling station at the capital's Binyanei Ha'uma convention center, Begin walked among the activists, apologizing on the party's behalf. Though he was not chummy with the voters and made do with a handshake, he devoted several minutes to each one, patiently and graciously. The voters gathered round him, some speaking about his father, Menachem Begin, others saying they missed him. One woman showed him her historic Herut membership card, from the Revisionist party that was a predecessor to the Likud. "Look after it well," Begin advised her. He knelt beside another woman in a wheelchair and spoke to her for a long time, until his aides urged him to continue with the handshaking. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Back in the Mideast Carter may meet with Hezbollah officials during his visit in Lebanon. Bush's final days Olmert has a thing or two to learn from Bush about an exit strategy.

Read & React Netanyahu: Obama told me he views Iran nukes as 'unacceptable' Responses: 61 Olmert: We won't just defend against Gaza terror, we'll attack Responses: 90 EU votes to upgrade Israel relations despite Arab lobbying Responses: 79 Mati Steinberg: The Arab world's stance on Israel has changed Responses: 59 More Headlines 23:12 UN panel demands Israel lift Gaza blockade, free Palestinian prisoners 00:23 Netanyahu camp seeks to oust far-rightist Feiglin from Likud line-up 18:21 Olmert: We won't just defend against Gaza terror, we'll attack 19:54 Carter, in Lebanon, says ready to meet with Hezbollah officials 20:35 Bush's final days: What W can teach Olmert about exit strategy 23:41 Rights group to Mazuz: Probe IDF targeted killings in West Bank 18:50 Israel Post delivers `letters to God` to Jerusalem's Western Wall 18:38 Fourth protest boat sails into Gaza, breaching Israeli blockade 18:12 Peres: Iran leaders cannot feed their kids uranium for breakfast 19:37 Poll: Most Israelis think human rights groups hostile to their country 18:57 Local official: We'll block rightists' entry to Arab town 'physically' 21:30 Jerusalem civic studies teacher arrested for drugs possession 00:28 VIDEO / Israeli eighth graders receive failing marks in math 00:32 Charity: One in five Israelis on food aid has considered suicide 14:27 Department chain H&M to open branch in Israel in 2010 15:09 Olmert heads to London next week for talks with British leaders Previous Editions Select Day 09 dec 08 dec 07 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 01 dec 30 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 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 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