Hundreds of volunteers are involved in the campaign, which has a simple message: "Vote, and vote right." Specifically, voters in areas that gave strong support to the Likud in the past, and who may now be supporting Kadima, are being targeted.
Nechi Eyal, Director-General of the National Union party, says that some 20,000 homes were visited or phoned in the first week of the campaign. He said that the first priority of the callers is to build support for the National Union/NRP list. In actuality, however, the overall objective for most callers is to increase support for the right-wing camp in general - and to ensure that even if they are disenchanted, they come out and vote.
"The purpose is to bypass the media," Eyal said, "and to transmit the messages that the press does not allow us to give, directly to the voters' homes."
Susie Dym, of the "Cities of Israel" Rehovot-based grassroots organization, says, "We have to make sure that a large enough right-wing bloc is formed in the next Knesset to prevent a left-wing government from arising. If you meet a Kadima voter, try to get him to vote for the Likud or for any other party. But we need not waste time and effort on re-shuffling votes within the right-wing camp."
The Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction of the Likud does not agree. "Many of our members are involved in the Face-to-Face campaign," Manhigut leader Michael Puah told Arutz-7 today, "but organizationally, we are not involved. We are putting our efforts into increasing votes for the Likud in Judea and Samaria (Yesha), in order to increase our representation in the powerful Likud Central Committee. For every 50 Likud votes in Yesha, the Yesha population receives a Central Committee delegate - as opposed to other areas, where a local delegate is apportioned only for every 100 or 400 votes, depending on the area."
"People mistakenly think," Puah said, "that elections are like a rally, where you vote for the person or party you most identify with. In truth, one votes in order to build political strength - and that's something we can only do in the Likud."
The goal of the "Moving Rightward" campaign is to move some 10 seats to the right, in order to form a bloc of 61 religious and nationalist MKs. A "Brain Base" poll released this week shows that this camp would receive 52 MKs - 18 for Likud, 11 for NU/NRP, 9 for Shas, 8 for Yisrael Beiteinu, and 6 for United Torah Judaism. A Voice of Israel poll showed slightly lower numbers for most of these parties.
Volunteers receive a list of names and phone numbers they are asked to call and remind of the importance of retaining Israel's Jewish character. "Many people don't think," one volunteer told Ofrah Lax of B'Sheva. "But when you remind them that what's at stake here is the future of the Jewish identity, culture, and settlement enterprise in the Land of Israel, they are persuaded."
"Our biggest problem right now," says Susie Dym, "is that people don't realize how easy it is. They are often startled by the idea of just taking a page from the phonebook and calling them one by one... It is somewhat frustrating because people don't realize how easily we can turn the tides here... But we have solved this problem to a certain extent by not waiting for people to volunteer; instead we volunteer them - we call someone who we know is reliable and say, 'here's your list'... And it is working! Even those who have what I call the Moshe Rabbeinu syndrome, that is, they think they are not articulate, etc. - invariably, they do at least as well as the more chatty volunteers. A Rehovot woman who told me she 'can't persuade people' just contacted me the other day to ask for another column in the phonebook..."
Other talking points provided by the "Moving Rightward" organizers:
"If Kadima, with nearly 40 Knesset seats, joins up with the left and the Arabs, this could mean the destruction of the settlement enterprise, erosion of the State's Jewish identity, a mortal blow to education and the Torah world, and above all, seemingly unmitigated proof that the People of Israel are tired and have given in to despair. However, the battle is far from over, and the nationalist camp has proven that it can change trends. ... If all of us, young and old, men, women and children, each one according to his ability and inclinations, enlist in the effort, we can conquer the country. We can detour the polls and the media's lies, reach the masses directly, speak the truth without intermediaries, and with G-d's help we will succeed in having an influence."
A "Moving Rightward" flyer gives practical advice as to how to start:
"Join up with your local chapter. [The phone numbers are included.] You will receive a list of names and phone numbers. Simply dial and begin an informal conversation in the way you feel is best. The organizers can provide you with tips, if you'd like... Flow along, and you'll improve with each conversation. But it's important to keep the objective in mind: identifying those who are undecided and who might be able to be convinced in a face-to-face visit. After each call, fill in the feedback form and return it to the chapter office. Volunteers will then make house visits..."
Susie Dym adds:
"I would recommend to people abroad, by the way, that before they volunteer to call people they don't know, they first call the Israelis they do know - every single family member and friend. If their Israeli connections are not planning to vote for the right, now is the time to persuade them. And if they are, ask them have they heard about this project and could they volunteer for it. This is a very warm, person to person project."
Volunteers from abroad who, nevertheless, are interested in making phone calls to those they don't know, can apply for a list of voters to call by sending a fax to (+972)3-760-0679. Specify your language (Hebrew/English/Russian), as well as your email address. Those who prefer to call relatives and friends are invited to relay their impressions to the above fax number.
Nechi Eyal, Director-General of the National Union party, says that some 20,000 homes were visited or phoned in the first week of the campaign. He said that the first priority of the callers is to build support for the National Union/NRP list. In actuality, however, the overall objective for most callers is to increase support for the right-wing camp in general - and to ensure that even if they are disenchanted, they come out and vote.
"The purpose is to bypass the media," Eyal said, "and to transmit the messages that the press does not allow us to give, directly to the voters' homes."
Susie Dym, of the "Cities of Israel" Rehovot-based grassroots organization, says, "We have to make sure that a large enough right-wing bloc is formed in the next Knesset to prevent a left-wing government from arising. If you meet a Kadima voter, try to get him to vote for the Likud or for any other party. But we need not waste time and effort on re-shuffling votes within the right-wing camp."
The Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction of the Likud does not agree. "Many of our members are involved in the Face-to-Face campaign," Manhigut leader Michael Puah told Arutz-7 today, "but organizationally, we are not involved. We are putting our efforts into increasing votes for the Likud in Judea and Samaria (Yesha), in order to increase our representation in the powerful Likud Central Committee. For every 50 Likud votes in Yesha, the Yesha population receives a Central Committee delegate - as opposed to other areas, where a local delegate is apportioned only for every 100 or 400 votes, depending on the area."
"People mistakenly think," Puah said, "that elections are like a rally, where you vote for the person or party you most identify with. In truth, one votes in order to build political strength - and that's something we can only do in the Likud."
The goal of the "Moving Rightward" campaign is to move some 10 seats to the right, in order to form a bloc of 61 religious and nationalist MKs. A "Brain Base" poll released this week shows that this camp would receive 52 MKs - 18 for Likud, 11 for NU/NRP, 9 for Shas, 8 for Yisrael Beiteinu, and 6 for United Torah Judaism. A Voice of Israel poll showed slightly lower numbers for most of these parties.
Volunteers receive a list of names and phone numbers they are asked to call and remind of the importance of retaining Israel's Jewish character. "Many people don't think," one volunteer told Ofrah Lax of B'Sheva. "But when you remind them that what's at stake here is the future of the Jewish identity, culture, and settlement enterprise in the Land of Israel, they are persuaded."
"Our biggest problem right now," says Susie Dym, "is that people don't realize how easy it is. They are often startled by the idea of just taking a page from the phonebook and calling them one by one... It is somewhat frustrating because people don't realize how easily we can turn the tides here... But we have solved this problem to a certain extent by not waiting for people to volunteer; instead we volunteer them - we call someone who we know is reliable and say, 'here's your list'... And it is working! Even those who have what I call the Moshe Rabbeinu syndrome, that is, they think they are not articulate, etc. - invariably, they do at least as well as the more chatty volunteers. A Rehovot woman who told me she 'can't persuade people' just contacted me the other day to ask for another column in the phonebook..."
Other talking points provided by the "Moving Rightward" organizers:
"If Kadima, with nearly 40 Knesset seats, joins up with the left and the Arabs, this could mean the destruction of the settlement enterprise, erosion of the State's Jewish identity, a mortal blow to education and the Torah world, and above all, seemingly unmitigated proof that the People of Israel are tired and have given in to despair. However, the battle is far from over, and the nationalist camp has proven that it can change trends. ... If all of us, young and old, men, women and children, each one according to his ability and inclinations, enlist in the effort, we can conquer the country. We can detour the polls and the media's lies, reach the masses directly, speak the truth without intermediaries, and with G-d's help we will succeed in having an influence."
A "Moving Rightward" flyer gives practical advice as to how to start:
"Join up with your local chapter. [The phone numbers are included.] You will receive a list of names and phone numbers. Simply dial and begin an informal conversation in the way you feel is best. The organizers can provide you with tips, if you'd like... Flow along, and you'll improve with each conversation. But it's important to keep the objective in mind: identifying those who are undecided and who might be able to be convinced in a face-to-face visit. After each call, fill in the feedback form and return it to the chapter office. Volunteers will then make house visits..."
Susie Dym adds:
"I would recommend to people abroad, by the way, that before they volunteer to call people they don't know, they first call the Israelis they do know - every single family member and friend. If their Israeli connections are not planning to vote for the right, now is the time to persuade them. And if they are, ask them have they heard about this project and could they volunteer for it. This is a very warm, person to person project."
Volunteers from abroad who, nevertheless, are interested in making phone calls to those they don't know, can apply for a list of voters to call by sending a fax to (+972)3-760-0679. Specify your language (Hebrew/English/Russian), as well as your email address. Those who prefer to call relatives and friends are invited to relay their impressions to the above fax number.