Tiring of moderates, many Israelis prefer 'iron fist'

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For many, even hawkish Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu isn't tough enough. In the final days of the campaign, there's been a surge of support for harder-liner Lieberman.

"I'm a Likudnik, but I'm voting more to the right," 34-year-old hairdresser David Arbel said. "Lieberman maybe. I'm voting against the Arabs."

The final polls before Tuesday's vote showed Lieberman's party winning 19 seats, which would make it Israel's third largest, ahead of Barack's Labor Party .

"With Lieberman we'll stand tall," said Eli Pariente , a 48-year-old Ashkelon resident. "He has an iron fist, and we need that in Israel ."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090206/wl_mcclatchy/3162436_1