In the United States, the late American-Jewish election consultant Arthur Finkelstein died last night (Friday), at the age of 72.
Finkelstein was known as a behind-the-scenes election consultant, advancing the careers of a string of Republican senators since the 1970s. He helped Netanyahu during the 1996 election campaign, when he first won the prime ministership.
Finkelstein was the one who coined the winning slogan, "Peres will divide Jerusalem," and also assisted Netanyahu in the 1999 elections when he ran against Ehud Barak, and in the 2013 elections when the Likud movement ran jointly with the Yisrael Beiteinu movement.
He also worked with Ariel Sharon, when he ran against Ehud Barak in 2001, and with the Yisrael Beiteinu party in the 2006 elections, when the party increased its strength to 11 seats.
Finkelstein died of lung cancer at his home in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
Defense Minister Lieberman paid tribute to him: "Arthur Finkelstein, who passed away this weekend, was an unusual man with a captivating personality, with a lot of charm and wisdom of life.
""My acquaintance with Arthur began with a heated debate during the 1996 election campaign. The debate revolved around the election slogan 'Peres will divide Jerusalem,' with which the Likud opened the campaign. I strongly opposed this proposal, but as always, it turned out in the end that Arthur was right, and the decisions he made at the time played a significant part in Netanyahu and the Likud's victory.".
""Arthur was a man of many disciplines and had extensive knowledge in many fields, but above all he was a warm Jew and a great supporter of the State of Israel. Arthur was an excellent professional, whose activities around the world brought him into contact with presidents and prime ministers - but it never changed his easygoing nature, and he always made sure to remain at eye level. On a personal level, Arthur was a true friend, and I will always remember him as one of the fascinating people I had the great privilege of knowing.".
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