PM forms campaign team for elections over two years away

Galili-Tzuker describes her political orientation as “social-economic new socialism and dovish in foreign policy.”

By REBECCA ANNA STOIL
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu 311 (R) (photo credit: REUTERS/Charles Dharapak)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu 311 (R)
(photo credit: REUTERS/Charles Dharapak)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama may not see eye-to-eye on everything, but the two leaders reached a near-consensus in recent days as to when to launch their reelection campaigns.
Hours before Obama launched his campaign on Monday, Netanyahu appointed a special political action team to prepare for the next general elections, slated for 2013.
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Both Obama and Netanyahu have reached the mid-point of their terms in office. Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Dr. Orit Galili- Tzuker to lead his election team signals an adoption of the American practice of beginning reelection campaigns mid-term.
Galili-Tzuker, who has worked in the past with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the Labor Party, describes her political orientation as “social-economic new socialism and dovish in foreign policy.”
She will be joined on Netanyahu’s team by Dr. Alina Berdich-Yalov, who specializes in Russian media and strategy, and Natalie Solon, who has worked on political campaigns in eastern Europe.
Solon’s role in the team will be to focus on Internet and new media campaigning, an area in which Netanyahu was considered particularly strong in the previous elections.
The campaign team is expected to grow significantly in the coming months, adding additional media experts and at least one spokesperson, who will work for Netanyahu outside of the framework of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Netanyahu’s rivals in Kadima were quick to respond to the prime minister’s move, quipping that “Netanyahu has understood that Israel is better off without him, and that elections are needed and unpreventable.
“Netanyahu dragged down the diplomatic, social and ethical fields to unprecedented levels. He understood that he is part of the problem and not part of the solution, and the communications team that can reverse a prime minister who acts in such a twisted manner has yet to be born,” continued the opposition party, in an official response.