Yacimovich warns against letting Herzog buy election

Herzog has raised nearly NIS 1 million for his campaign and Yacimovich only about NIS 300,000.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
Shelly Yacimovich 370 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Shelly Yacimovich 370
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
MK Isaac Herzog cannot be allowed to use his financial advantage to help him win Thursday’s Labor primary, Shelly Yacimovich, incumbent party leader, wrote her closest supporters on Tuesday.
Herzog has raised nearly NIS 1 million for his campaign and Yacimovich only about NIS 300,000.
Yacimovich’s associates said that in addition to the money raised, Herzog has his own personal wealth and that of his ally, venture capitalist Erel Margalit, who is the richest MK in the Knesset.
“Because the big money is not on our side, we depend on you to volunteer,” Yacimovich told her supporters.
“We have the majority and the faith but the election will be decided in the ballot box.
“We will only win if our pile of votes is higher,” she said.
An MK close to Yacimovich said Herzog could use his financial advantage to provide transportation to organized voting blocs in sectors where he has an advantage, including Arabs, Druse and the South. The higher the turnout on Thursday will be, the more likely it is that enough independent voters came to support Yacimovich, he said.
Herzog responded to such claims in a letter he sent to his supporters saying he was proud to have earned backing from Labor members in all sectors all over the country.
“Over the last few days there have been attacks from the Yacimovich campaign as if all my contributions are large and all of hers are unconnected to wealth,” he wrote. “I can point out wealthy people among her contributors and prove that my donors work on behalf of Israel. Some are childhood friends and others are Jewish leaders who believe in my path.
“But what bothers me is Yacimovich’s divisive messages against the business sector.
This approach distances voters away from Labor.”
Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai criticized Yacimovich, saying that she failed to connect to the wider public because she focuses too much on the socioeconomic sector.
“Not everything is connected to the subcontracted workers she cares so much about,” he said. “We have more of a chance to gain mandates under Herzog.”


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