Inspired by Obama, Israeli politicians take campaigns online

Israeli politicians these days are taking lessons from U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama, who maximized the use of the Internet in unprecedented ways in order to broaden his support network.

As politicians gear up for party primaries ahead of February general elections, even previously unknown contenders are taking advantage of a form of airtime they can afford by releasing online videos on YouTube and opening accounts on Facebook.

And as soon as the last primary votes are counted, the Israeli web surfer will surely be able to count on equally entertaining party-wide online endeavors.