On the election trail with Likud

By Martin Patience
BBC News website in Ashdod

The right-wing Likud party is trailing third in election opinion polls

The catchy Likud party jingle boomed around the reception room - "Likud is Right, Likud is your heart, Likud is your head".

With blue and white placards proclaiming "Netanyahu is a strong leader", the 400-strong crowd craned their necks towards the Rina Banquet Hall's main entrance.

But the politician they were all straining to catch a glimpse of, Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu, caught them by surprise.

The 56-year-old former prime minister entered the banquet hall through the kitchen.

Mr Netanyahu will be hoping that he can perform a similar manoeuvre and pull off a surprise win in this month's Israeli elections, but this looks unlikely.

Polls

Likud is trailing third in election opinion polls.

With the unilateral withdrawals we didn't get any benefits. It only encourages the Palestinians to continue their violence Michael Yoshpe Israeli political parties Israeli election process

The party that headed the last Israeli government imploded after the decision of its former leader, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to withdraw from settlements in Gaza and the West Bank last summer.

Ultimately, Mr Sharon and other senior members left Likud and formed the new Kadima party - currently leading in the polls.

As a ferocious critic of the withdrawals, Mr Netanyahu was once again elected the leader of Likud in December.

Mr Netanyahu warns that continued withdrawals from the West Bank will only jeopardise Israel's security and not strengthen it.

Immigrants

On a windswept evening in the drab industrial port-town of Ashdod, Mr Netanyahu took this message to his supporters.

Under glaring lights and mirrored roofs, the crowd of Russian immigrants listened attentively to Mr Netanyahu as they tucked into the chocolate croissants and fresh orange juice laid on for them.

NETANYAHU'S CAREER 1949: Born in Tel Aviv 1967-73: Soldier and commando captain 1984: Ambassador to UN 1988: Enters Knesset and cabinet 1996: Becomes prime minister 1999: Loses election 2002-3: Foreign minister 2003-5: Finance minister 2005: Regains Likud leadership Profile: Binyamin Netanyahu

"They didn't build coffee shops and discos there and say 'what nice people those Jews are'," Mr Netanyahu told the crowd, referring to the evacuated settlements in Gaza.

"They didn't build some fish restaurants there," he said, teasing the Russian Jews in his audience for their fondness for shellfish, a non-kosher food.

"No, instead they fired rockets at Israel from the settlements we evacuated."

As many of the immigrant crowd had a poor understanding of Hebrew, Mr Netanyahu's speech was translated into Russian, sentence by sentence.

But for most of those in attendance, these were strong words from a strong man - in whatever language.

Cheers

Michael Yoshpe, 40, an aerospace engineer from the town, shares Mr Netanyahu's views and praises the Likud leader for saying things that most people don't want to believe.

[Netanyahu] would make a good car salesman Shlomi Baron

"With the unilateral withdrawals we didn't get any benefits," he says.

"It only encourages the Palestinians to continue their violence."

While the issue of security tops Likud's election manifesto, Mr Netanyahu drew the biggest cheer of the night for plans to increase the state pension.

In the packed hall, where many of the women sported bouffant dyed hair, and the majority of the people where either of retirement age or fast approaching it, this pledge was never going to go down badly.

After a slick 20-minute speech, Netanyahu left most listeners pretty satisfied and their votes almost assured.

Trust

But one of Mr Netanyahu's biggest problems is shoring up the support of former Likud voters who are increasingly turning to Kadima.

Across the road from the Rina Banquet Hall, car salesman Shlomi Baron works at the used-car dealership, The Top Car.

The 25-year-old voted for Likud in the last election but says that Kadima will receive his support at this election.

While Mr Netanyahu sells his policies well, Mr Baron says, he would "make a good car salesman". In other words, he doesn't trust the Likud leader.

Mr Baron says he will be voting for Kadima because the party was founded by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who remains in a coma following a severe stroke early January.

"He's a man who can be trusted," he says.