Greens claim groundswell of support is no passing fad

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS
The increased interest in environmental issues during local election campaigns indicates these concerns are not a passing fad, as do new polls that show the Green Party could make it into the next Knesset, party spokesman Ido Tandovsky said Thursday. Some recent polls give the Greens two seats, while those same polls put the Pensioners Party below the electoral threshold. "We noticed the polls but we are cautious about them," Tandovsky told The Jerusalem Post. "Right now, we are running people in 30 municipalities and are totally focused on the municipal elections on November 11. We won't begin thinking about national elections until after the 11th." More and more people are expressing interest in saving the earth and the environment in Israel, not just diehard environmentalists, he added. Tandovsky rejected a comparison with the Pensioners or any hint that the Greens were the next fad or protest vote, pointing to the party's 10-year history. The party has been running for the Knesset since 1999, and almost made it in the previous elections. Party head Pe'er Visner is a deputy mayor of Tel Aviv. "We were not set up just to run in elections," Tandovsky said. "We've been around for 10 years and have been active in between elections." A source in the Pensioners Party told the Post they were not overly concerned by the polling results. "Polls are overrated. We think we have a good chance this time around too. We were not a trend and we have to stay in the Knesset because no one else is fighting for our agenda," he told the Post. While polls give the Greens their best chance yet, they may face a challenge from within their own camp. A new Green Movement, comprised of professionals from the environmental organizations, has emerged in recent months and has also been actively campaigning in the local elections. Sources in the Green Movement have derided the Greens as politicians without a track record of success. But it is unclear whether the Green Movement, founded by Alon Tal and Eran Ben-Yemini, will be able to draw enough support to compete with the Greens for the Knesset this time around. Tal told the Post recently if national elections were held soon, the Green Movement would have to think hard about its strategy.