ISRAEL

BLITZER Next Tuesday in ░░░░░░░░ could be a stunning ░░░░░░░░ back for the prime ░░░░░░░░ of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu ░░░░░░░░ his Likud Party The ░░░░░░░░ authoritative polls just being ░░░░░░░░ show Netanyahu trailing with ░░░░░░░░ rival Labor Party projected ░░░░░░░░ pick up four more ░░░░░░░░ than the Likud Our ░░░░░░░░ affairs correspondent Elise Labott ░░░░░░░░ more on Labor s ░░░░░░░░ surge clip starts LABOTT ░░░░░░░░ over Less than a ░░░░░░░░ before the election Benjamin ░░░░░░░░ is on the ropes ░░░░░░░░ latest polls show the ░░░░░░░░ minister running behind a ░░░░░░░░ known mild mannered politician ░░░░░░░░ the prospect of a ░░░░░░░░ upset at the hands ░░░░░░░░ Isaac Herzog known as ░░░░░░░░ HERZOG There s a ░░░░░░░░ of disappointment for Benjamin ░░░░░░░░ think the era is ░░░░░░░░ LABOTT voice over Focused ░░░░░░░░ on his current job ░░░░░░░░ has done little glad ░░░░░░░░ but has been quick ░░░░░░░░ blame today pointing to ░░░░░░░░ world wide effort to ░░░░░░░░ him Campaign officials say ░░░░░░░░ money from around the ░░░░░░░░ much of it from ░░░░░░░░ U S I funding ░░░░░░░░ grass roots get out ░░░░░░░░ vote drive called V15 ░░░░░░░░ one goal get rid ░░░░░░░░ Bibi After six years ░░░░░░░░ s relentless focus on ░░░░░░░░ seems to be falling ░░░░░░░░ among many Israelis who ░░░░░░░░ a leader to keep ░░░░░░░░ safe but deal with ░░░░░░░░ food and house prices ░░░░░░░░ health care and welfare ░░░░░░░░ HOROWITZ In the increasing ░░░░░░░░ within Israel and the ░░░░░░░░ and the widening of ░░░░░░░░ gulf between the haves ░░░░░░░░ have nots there he ░░░░░░░░ is vulnerable LABOTT voice ░░░░░░░░ Tens of thousands filled ░░░░░░░░ Rabin Square in Tel ░░░░░░░░ this weekend to drive ░░░░░░░░ that message at an ░░░░░░░░ Netanyahu rally In his ░░░░░░░░ push before Election Day ░░░░░░░░ prime minister has doubled ░░░░░░░░ on the security platform ░░░░░░░░ a major speech to ░░░░░░░░ U S Congress on ░░░░░░░░ threat that they face ░░░░░░░░ Iran Netanyahu I feel ░░░░░░░░ obligation to speak to ░░░░░░░░ about an issue that ░░░░░░░░ threaten the survival of ░░░░░░░░ country and the future ░░░░░░░░ my people LABOTT voice ░░░░░░░░ And hedging on his ░░░░░░░░ to a peace deal ░░░░░░░░ the Palestinians leading to ░░░░░░░░ Two State Solution Herzog ░░░░░░░░ that Netanyahu has an ░░░░░░░░ brand and warning about ░░░░░░░░ tensions with the U ░░░░░░░░ and Israel s closest ░░░░░░░░ with the leadership HERZOG ░░░░░░░░ think that he failed ░░░░░░░░ I am trying to ░░░░░░░░ his bluff on it ░░░░░░░░ ends BLITZER And Elise ░░░░░░░░ joining us live from ░░░░░░░░ I know that the ░░░░░░░░ polls are basically out ░░░░░░░░ think one more is ░░░░░░░░ out shortly but it ░░░░░░░░ show Labor ahead of ░░░░░░░░ It does not look ░░░░░░░░ the prime minister got ░░░░░░░░ of a bounce from ░░░░░░░░ visit to Washington at ░░░░░░░░ from his controversial speech ░░░░░░░░ Congress And his critics ░░░░░░░░ Israel were always saying ░░░░░░░░ he was coming to ░░░░░░░░ to deliver that speech ░░░░░░░░ try to score political ░░░░░░░░ back home And now ░░░░░░░░ a new campaign commercial ░░░░░░░░ is referring to that ░░░░░░░░ showing pictures of that ░░░░░░░░ before the joint meeting ░░░░░░░░ Congress Let me show ░░░░░░░░ viewers a little of ░░░░░░░░ clip starts Netanyahu speaking ░░░░░░░░ Hebrew language clip ends ░░░░░░░░ So a commercial a ░░░░░░░░ commercial like that you ░░░░░░░░ back in Israel they ░░░░░░░░ saying underscore is why ░░░░░░░░ really came to Washington ░░░░░░░░ because he was concerned ░░░░░░░░ he is concerned about ░░░░░░░░ s nuclear program LABOTT ░░░░░░░░ Wolf his aide says ░░░░░░░░ he would be going ░░░░░░░░ Washington to deliver the ░░░░░░░░ whether he was running ░░░░░░░░ not But Likud campaign ░░░░░░░░ recognize that they did ░░░░░░░░ get the bump that ░░░░░░░░ would have hoped for ░░░░░░░░ this speech He came ░░░░░░░░ in the polls and ░░░░░░░░ was up another seat ░░░░░░░░ too and then kind ░░░░░░░░ fell back down But ░░░░░░░░ is interesting about these ░░░░░░░░ polls is that Labor ░░░░░░░░ the Zionist camp of ░░░░░░░░ Livni and Herzog have ░░░░░░░░ really surge in the ░░░░░░░░ It s just that ░░░░░░░░ continues to dip in ░░░░░░░░ polls and he is ░░░░░░░░ is bleeding right now ░░░░░░░░ votes are going to ░░░░░░░░ lot of different parties ░░░░░░░░ couple of them are ░░░░░░░░ to the Zionist camp ░░░░░░░░ this Herzog and Livni ░░░░░░░░ a couple are going ░░░░░░░░ some other center left ░░░░░░░░ center right parties and ░░░░░░░░ far left and far ░░░░░░░░ parties So I think ░░░░░░░░ you see here in ░░░░░░░░ polls is a real ░░░░░░░░ and a growing frustration ░░░░░░░░ Prime Minister Netanyahu his ░░░░░░░░ focus on security to ░░░░░░░░ expense of some of ░░░░░░░░ economic issues but they ░░░░░░░░ not really narrowed down ░░░░░░░░ Herzog yet I think ░░░░░░░░ Herzog although he is ░░░░░░░░ well is still vulnerable ░░░░░░░░ the elections Wolf BLITZER ░░░░░░░░ right Elise we will ░░░░░░░░ watching with you on ░░░░░░░░ the results coming in ░░░░░░░░ very much That s ░░░░░░░░ for me.”