The Yisrael Beiteinu youths gather for a
final consultation as dozens of elderly
party supporters slowly make their way into
the white tent where the movement's
conference is being held, behind the Plaza
Hotel in Upper Nazareth.
The youths, ages 16-18, many of them good
friends from school, had stood for a long
time before the event began at the
intersection near the hotel, waving Israeli
flags and shouting "Death to the Arabs" and
"No loyalty, no citizenship" at passing
cars.
In the tent, they deliberate over what to
shout when Lieberman enters: Calling out
"The next prime minister" may sound a bit
presumptuous with regard to the leader of
what's likely to be the third-largest party
in the next Knesset. But during a week when
Yisrael Beiteinu won the highest level of
support in mock high-school polls - the
sky's the limit. ...
...Now the youths are beaming, holding their
flags aloft and shouting so loudly it makes
them hoarse: "Here comes the next prime
minister!" If not in the upcoming election,
then maybe in the one after that, when these
young people will vote for the first time.
The conference concluded with the singing of
the national anthem, which the young
attendees sang aggressively in the style of
Beitar Jerusalem fans. On the bus back to
the center of Upper Nazareth, one of the
youths offers this explanation for his
excitement about the party:
"This country has needed a dictatorship for
a long time already. But I'm not talking
about an extreme dictatorship. We need
someone who can put things in order.
Lieberman is the only one who speaks the
truth." Adds Edan Ivanov, an 18 year old who
describes himself as being "up on current
events":
...The party's leaders are not surprised.
"Young people like to hear clear messages,"
Landau says. "They want a unified message.
We state our positions plainly. They're fed
up with the other candidates' zigzags." ...