T. Belman. I was there. The spirit was contagious. Lots of singing and dancing. More that half the crowd were under 18. Girls outnumbered the boys. Very exciting.
I have been thinking just how important this election is. It reminded me how crucial the election was prior to the Oslo Accords. The left passed the Oslo Accords by one vote. And it proved to be a monumental disaster for Israel. We are still suffering the consequences from it. And now we are once again faced with a disaster. If the left wins the election, they will abandon Judea and Samaria and the Jews living there. The stakes are very high.
10:15 PM The massive pro-right rally is now over.
9:30 PM
9:26 PM Looking at the rally from Ibn Gavriel Street :
9:14 PM Rabbi Druckman speaking.
9:07 PM Leftwing newspapers claim only a few thousands to 15,000 people at rally – outright lies.
Streets are filled – up to 4 blocks away. More pictures on the way from our roaming reporter.
8:55 PM Eli Yishai speaking.
Livestream Video at bottom of the post.
8:45 PM 
8:38 PM NafataLi Bennett on the stage working up the crowd and playing the guitar.
8:32 PM Definitely at least 100,000 people there.
Listening to Netanyahu at the rally was like listening to him at the rallies it the old days. Powerful energy.
8:26 PM 
8:15 PM Bibi is electrifying the crowd…
8:12 PM Netanyahu takes the stage
8:08 PM Police say 100,000 people in the square.
Prime Minister Netanyahu to speak…
8:04 PM The square is packed and people are still streaming in.
7:59 PM The first speaker has gotten up to speak at the rightwing rally in Rabin Square.
7:29 PM 750 buses are coming from around the country to fill up Rabin Square with supporters of the political parties from the right in a show of strength. Some buses have arrived, but many are still underway.
It’s not even 7:30 PM and Channel 20 estimates that tens of thousands of people have already arrived for the rally that only begins at 8PM this evening.
Channel 20 also reports that the rally is filled with secular Jews, and not just religious ones.
Among the speakers who will be speaking tonight are Prime Minister Netanyahu (Likud), Minister Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi), MK Eli Yishai (Yachad) as well as other Ministers, MKs and leaders.
This is the first show of real electricity that the Right has displayed this campaign. It’s as if they’ve been holding it in, and now finally letting it out.
Our reporter in the field will be updating us as the rally goes on.
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ArnoldHarris Said:
bernard ross Said:
Kulanu sounds like dividing Jerusalem to me
With all the talk about domestic issues being of primary concern, is it not telling that all the machinations about potential horse-trading appears to be based primarily on the parties’ steadfastness regarding security?
@ Ted Belman:
Ted:
The date on the masthead of the Jerusalem Post issue from which I got the information that I cited in my comment yesterday is 3-16-2015. What in hell is going on here? Why would the Jerusalem Post, which presumably is a prestigious publication, run a two-month old pre-election poll as current news?
Is there any news source in Israel these days fully believable?
In any case, all the polls I have seen — most of which show Herzog+Livni ahead of Likud, also show that the left-wing parties plus the Arab list combined are likely to win at best only about 55-56 seats, which means that only Likud and its allied political factions could assemble a coalition that could sustain the next government.
From what I think I understand about these various parties and factions, I think Kahlon’s Kulanu is the only centrist party that could swing either left or right. Kahlon has clearly stated that his interest is mainly to be selected as finance minister of the next government, which Netanyahu already has promised to him, while Herzog has promised nothing. But Kahlon also has clearly stated that he will never agree to withdrawing Israeli sovereignty from any part of undivided Jerusalem, and insists on permanent Israeli control of the long Jordan Valley. If Herzog+Livni were to include his party for their a coalition under their control, Kahlon’s party would be in position to break up that coalition over just such an issue.
I watched and listened to the streaming video of the astounding event last night in Rabin Square, including Bennett’s fantastic speech and his attempts to sing “Yerushalaim shel Zahav. He plays the guitar well, but his voice is not that of Shuli Nathan, who is now immortalized in the video tapes of what become the second national anthem of the Jewish state, and possibly the first anthem of the Jewish nation.
My blessings go out to all of you who are residents of our national homeland. I will be the first to admit that you are far better Jews than I am, because you all are part of the living flesh and blood of the present and future Jewish nation being re-assembled on the soil of Eretz-Yisrael.
What ever happens in this election, do the best you can, and never abandon yourselves to despair.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
You would have thought this would have been enough to summarized the left and all their military “experts”.
Perhaps the most important fact that has come out of this amazingly important election.
The speech of Netanyahu to Congress Mar8 2015 is still central and will remain central no matter what way the election goes.
The statement from Channel 20 is pointing towards the future regardless of the votes cast here.
It means that the old terms of right and left have now become lethal for the future of the Jewish people.
New terms have to be found and accepted by the main people in all áreas of the struggle. For example a much better name for “left” will encompass the idea that these people are lacking in belief in the Zionist cause and have swallowed more or less the Palestinian Narrative.
Think of the political line of myself who is both atheist, communist and secular. My last 2 articles are (but you can go right back many years and you will find a most consistent line):
http://4international.me/2015/03/16/a-photo-produced-by-fake-palestinians-that-is-100-fake-richard-silverstein-published-it/
http://4international.me/2015/03/14/vote-for-the-netanyahu-likud-bennett-side-in-the-election-to-keep-traitors-away-from-state-power/
@ ArnoldHarris:
That poll was from January.
The election will depend on turnout.
Likud better have a massive get out the vote operation in place.
If the Right doesn’t show up Tuesday, Israel is in for some very dark times ahead.
@ rsklaroff:
Rsk:
I don’t think Mr Netanyahu is thinking of dumping overboard any party that stands against Buji and Tzipi and all that they represent, irrespective of the poll that I cited and the all but overwhelming crowd of more than 100,000 that turned out for HaLikud and other parties on the right and the Jewish religious candidates. But if the election proceeds well for the prime minister, it probably will be Mr Liberman who needs Mr Netanyahu and not the other way around.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
I guess BB won’t need Liberman….
(I wrote this comment earlier today when news became available of a new poll that puts Prime Minister Netanyahu on top in the coming Knesset election. But on seeing the news of the tremendous rally for him, involving well over 100,000 and maybe more showing up all the time, I think what I wrote earlier belongs right here, under what Ted has posted.)
—————————————————————————————————
The weekend edition of the English-language Jerusalem Post and its companion Hebrew language Maariv Sof HaShavua have published a poll taken last Thursday, by Panels Research Polls, showing Likud, Beit HaYehudi and the other parties likely to join a Netanyahu-led coalition back on top over Labor+Livni+Lapid+Meretz+Arab List, 67-3 Knesset seats. See the results and commentary here:
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/Hostilities-in-North-give-Likud-boost-in-latest-Post-poll-389496
Poll results show Likud 25, Labor+Livni 24, Beit Yehudi 14, Joint Arab List 12, Yesh Atid 11, United Torah 8, Kulanu 8, Shas 7. Meretz 6, Yisrael Beitenu 5, Yachad+Otzma under 3.25 percent.
Also in the weekend JP and other sources:
1) Netanyahu has publicly offered the finance ministry job to Kahlon if the Likud-led coalition leads the coalition-building, which Herzog has refused to make any such offers at this pre-election stage. Not discussed in this issue of JP but highly relevant is that the only preconditions related to defense and foreign policy that Kahlon, whose main focus has been revamping the Israeli economy, is that he has “red lines” he will not cross regarding subdivision of Jerusalem or giving up Israeli control of the Jordan Valley. These caveats strongly suggest that Kahlon, who split away from Likud to form his own party, would be far more comfortable in a right-of-center government.
2) A report was aired on the US-based Fox News channel Sunday morning broadcast panel discussion show about the now well-known effort by an American organization with ties to the Obama administration that has been spending money attempting to unseat Netanyahu as prime minister of Israel. The panel reported that a poll had been taken in Israel concerning this now-uncovered scheme, and that most Israeli respondents strongly disapproved of what they see as a foreign and hostile attempt to subvert Israel’s otherwise-democratic national election process.
What, if anything, do any of you Israpundit commenters based in Israel know about that poll?
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
Back to moderation. 🙁
Looks great! Thanks for sharing. This is what I was hoping for – a final positive push from the right. The Economy Minister needs to keep telling Israelis that a vote for the left will be much more costly. It should be easy to give examples!!
Liberman?