Israeli PM Netayahu fighting for political survival
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for his political survival on the final day of campaigning before Tuesday's election.
Netanyahu is sagging in the polls and he is pulling out all the stops to save his job, reports CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen.
His supporters jammed downtown Tel Aviv Sunday night for a last-minute -- some say last-ditch -- effort.
He called this snap election expecting to win in a walkaway but missed the ugly mood of many Israelis who blame him for high taxes and high prices.
Shiran and husband Tal are bitter that their dream of buying an apartment is out of reach.
"I don't want to see Bibi anymore," Tal said. "If he will stay, we will go. We can't live here anymore."
But Maya Itshaki says he's the one who will protect the country.
"He's not a super hero, but he is strong enough to protect the country," said Maya Itshaki.
Two weeks ago, Netanyahu spoke before the U.S. congress, invited by Republicans who didn't consult with President Obama. Instead of a boost back home, it was a bust. His popularity kept going down.
And worse, said author and commentator Ari Shavit, it broke the golden rule: when Israeli prime ministers deal with American politicians, stay neutral.
"When we had Yiddish speaking prime ministers who didn't know where Nebraska was, they realized Israel must be a bipartisan issue in America," Shavit said.
Netanyahu has been a survivor in Israeli politics for two decades. No one is writing him off yet.