#netayahu

speak for me”.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu waved to young supporters from behind the DJ's station in a Tel Aviv nightclub Sunday evening, calling for the public to strengthen Likud Beytenu so he can succeed in a third term after the January 22 election. "Over 1,000 young people [in the club] understand we need a strong Likud. Any other vote may bring in a left-wing government," the prime minister said, calling for young voters to convince their friends to vote Likud, while flanked by his sons and several MKs. Before entering the club, Netanyahu joked with reporters: "It's not every day that I get to wear jeans and hang out at the Tel Aviv port." He walked in to the dark room with flashing, colorful lights as a song by Likud supporter and singer Eyal Golan played: "He who believes is not afraid." After saying a few words to the crowd, Netanyah shook hands with some of the revelers in the front row, and smiled as Sarit Haddad's "You're the Bomb," the song that got Likud Beytenu in trouble recently, boomed through the loudspeakers. "Vote Mahal, Mahal, Mahal," he told the crowd, referring to Likud Beytenu's letters on voting slips, amid cheers from supporters waving glow-sticks. "Starting tomorrow, the polls will turn around," a Likud campaign spokesman said at the party.  Deputy Minister Gila Gamliel, who is chairwoman of the party's campaign for young voters and organized the event pointed out the 1,000 party-goers and several hundred others who were left outside for safety reasons, comparing the "flood of excited young Likudniks" to the rain outside. "The young people are behind Netanyahu, and we'll help the prime minister be strong so that Israel is strong," Gamliel added.   Earlier Sunday, in a rare interview with Israel Radio, Netanyahu said he "needs a larger governing party."   The prime minister said he is unsurprised that Tzipi Livni and Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich plan to form a united front against him, saying he expected it to happen either before or immediately after the election, in an attempt to bring his government down.   "There is only one way to ensure that the Right will run the government in Israel, which is to vote for me," he stated. "The smaller Likud Beytenu gets, the smaller the chances we will form the next government. Anyone who wants me to be prime minister but doesn't vote for me, is increasing the chances the Left will for the next government." On Saturday night, Netanyahu told Channel 2 News that if he is reelected, he would like a wide coalition with many parties, but that the Center-Left is already rejecting him. However, the prime added that if Livni was in the government, he would still lead its diplomatic agenda, and that he would not have Yacimovich as Finance Minister. When asked about Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, Netanyahu said that there are "no limits" for him.   Following the prime minister's words on Sunday morning, Yacimovich said Netanyahu does not present a vision or bring hope for the future, but a political message of fear.   "It is not a coincidence that Netanyahu is ignoring the reason for the early election – the draconian budget that will bring a social hell," she stated. "It is clear that this is a reaction that comes from panic over the fact that Labor re-started the election campaign and is the clear alternative for voters." However, the Labor leader added, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Livni must commit, as she did, not to join the Netanyahu coalition, so that the public will believe there is an alternative and vote.   Yacimovich added that in democratic countries, "candidates run in elections and kings are not crowned. The prime minister has trouble getting used to this reality, and we plan to do what is done in democratic countries – try to replace the government."   The Tzipi Livni Party also accused the prime minister of panicking, pointing out the party's dropping poll numbers.   "Netanyahu understands that Livni's initiative to unite the [Center-Left] bloc will lead to him being replaced," the party stated. "Netanyahu is continuing to try to scare citizens of Israel and talking about threats, which the heads of security forces say he is not fit to take care of."   "Israel needs balanced leadership that takes initiative and does not sweat and make decisions over a cup of alcohol and cigars," The Tzipi Livni Party said in reference to comments by former Shin Bet leader Yuval Diskin.   Also Sunday, Yisrael Beytenu denied reports that the party plans to break off from the Likud immediately after the election, saying the agreement signed by the two parties calls for decisions about their status to be made a month later.   "The Likud and Yisrael Beytenu are running for the Knesset together and will cooperate during the coming term. No union will be taken apart," a Yisrael Beytenu spokesman said.   He added that that after two of the parties originally making up the Likud, Herut and The Liberal Party, formed a joint list called Gahal in 1965, they continued to work independently until they were fully united.   Liberman called for voters to keep Likud Beytenu strong, in order to avoid "Oslo C" from passing.   However, the former foreign minister told Israel Radio he supports the idea of a Palestinian state as described by Netanyahu in his Bar-Ilan Speech.   At the same time, Liberman repeated his statement that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is not a partner for peace, adding that "It takes two to tango, and we can't force the Palestinians to change their leadership, but we have patience."   "We need to explain to the world that if someone is refusing peace, it is [Abbas]," Liberman added.   Meanwhile, Likud Beytenu petitioned the Central Election Committee to investigate Labor and Meretz's use of performing artists in their campaign events. The singer Efrat Gosh participated in a Labor event that was broadcast on television, and several performing artists, including singer Rona Keinan and actress Renana Raz, performed at a Meretz event. On Friday, Central  Election Committee chairman Elyakim Rubinstein asked Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein to investigate popular singer Sarit Hadad's performance at a Likud Beytenu event, saying it was illegal. Likud Beytenu also admitted to the Central Election Committee on Sunday that it funded anonymous ads attacking the Bayit Yehudi featuring rabbis connected to the Tekuma party, following a complaint by the Bayit Yehudi.