Pubdate: Mon, 09 Dec 2002
Source: Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Copyright: 2002,sThe Jerusalem Post
Contact:  http://www.jpost.co.il/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/516
Author: Daniel Ben-tal And Nina Gilbert

'GREEN LEAF' ON A ROLL

The mainstream pollsters aren't saying it, but Boaz Wachtel of the Green 
Leaf Party ("Aleh Yarok") believes that he will serve as a member of the 
next Knesset.

"I think we're going to be the surprise of these elections," he told The 
Jerusalem Post Sunday.

According to party treasurer Shai Hakim, a Green Leaf-commissioned Gal 
Hadash (formerly Gallop) poll predicts 2.5 percent of the electorate voting 
for the party on January 28, with another 4% still undecided. "We wonder 
whether Mina Tzemah even asks about Green Leaf," he said.

Unscientific straw polls are meanwhile producing even more startling 
results the party invariably registers at least 3% and received 8% in a 
poll conducted by a Kfar Saba local newspaper last week.

Aleh Yarok, which promotes drug legalization, came close to producing the 
shock of the last Knesset elections, mustering 34,029 votes representing 
just over 1% of the electorate only 15,000 votes short of the 1.5% 
threshold for Knesset membership.

The Green Leaf Party's 15-member leadership met Sunday night to set its 
Knesset list, with founder Wachtel assigned the top slot.

Dan Goldenblatt, an attorney originally from Canada, was considered a 
favorite for the No. 2 slot, and Renen Mosenson for third.

The party is to unveil its campaign on Tuesday at a Tel Aviv nightclub.

Party spokesman Dror Nissan said the party is confident of winning the 
"protest vote" and surpassing the electoral threshold. He said polls don't 
reflect support for the party, as pollsters either ignore the party or 
potential voters are afraid to reveal their voting plans on the phone.

Party leaders admit that they have to contend with a 'not serious' image: 
One radio announcer quipped last week that arsonists had attacked the 
party's headquarters and that neighbors reported a pleasant feeling.

"We view ourselves foremost as a public health and civil rights party with 
three central platforms: civil rights and personal freedom, ecology, and 
the legalization of cannabis," countered Wachtel. "A vote for us is far 
more than a protest vote."

"I think the party has matured," said Hakim. "It's been through the 
development stage, and now has its eyes firmly set on the Knesset. The 
atmosphere has become far more serious and focused."

The party's headquarters, a sublet two-room office in Tel Aviv's Rehov 
Brenner, was buzzing with activity yesterday.

"We're getting 50-60 e-mails a day from people who want to help and the 
phones don't stop ringing," exclaimed Hakim. "Things are starting to move."

Volunteers man three telephone lines throughout the day. "We can't keep up. 
We need four more lines, but Bezeq is demanding a NIS 5,000 guarantee per 
line, probably because of their previous experience with political parties. 
We simply don't have NIS 20,000."

The party's total election budget is a trifling NIS 150,000, said Hakim. 
"That's why you don't see enormous billboards with our logo we simply can't 
afford such luxuries.

"Our only income is from donations. We still haven't raised the sum, so 
activists lent the party money from their own pockets. We are all volunteers."

n February, six party activists attended (at their own expense) a three-day 
seminar in Berlin hosted by the German Greens dealing with the logistics of 
running a political party.

"We learned how to conduct an effective elective campaign with minimal 
resources. They helped us a lot by pointing out their mistakes," Hakim said.

Green Leaf's election campaign will be based on its activists, he 
explained. "We have active branches from Eilat to Rosh Pina, including 
university campuses. The stickers and fliers are ready, and the first batch 
of rolled-up banners just arrived from the printers today. One guideline to 
our activities will be litter prevention we're an ecological movement and 
fully intend to remove all our garbage after the elections. See if the 
other parties do that!"

Most of the volunteers are Israeli-born Jews with a background in some form 
of social activism, said Hakim. "Green Leaf remains an anti-establishment 
party. We want the people represented in the Knesset instead of rich 
corporations and religious pressure groups," he said. The party intends to 
emphasize issues other than drug legalization.

"Whoever reads our manifesto to our sorrow few voters ever do is always 
impressed. It expresses a desire to change fundamental aspects of this 
country. Ecology is strongly emphasized there is still time to undo 
historical mistakes. Funds must be allocated to the periphery, to counter 
the social gap. We call for separation of religion and state 75% of the 
population believes in that and propose a referendum to finalize borders of 
the country. It's time to let the people choose," he said. 
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