By, Anshel Pfeffer
1 min read
ByAnshel Pfeffer, Anshel Pfeffer
The architect of Benjamin Netanyahu's last-minute election fight-back also advised the Conservative Party on its winning strategy 40 days later, it has been revealed.
Aron Shaviv, a British-Israeli political strategist who has worked on election campaigns in more than 20 countries, was the Likud campaign manager for the 2015 Knesset elections.
He was credited with planning the strategy which propelled Mr Netanyahu's party to victory. Days before the polls opened Likud was trailing Labour by four seats, but in the last 96 hours of the campaign it secured a six-seat win.
Four days after the Israeli election Mr Shaviv was in London for two days of meetings with senior members of the Tory election team.
While it is unclear what his contribution to the Conservative strategy was in the final stages of the campaign, the similarities between the messages used by the two parties were striking.
In the last days before polling in Israel, Likud and Mr Netanyahu focused on the party's base, particularly those to the right. The relentless message was that a vote for any other party would lead to victory for the left-wing Zionist Union, supported by the Arab Joint List.
The message of the Conservatives and David Cameron was reminiscent in its appeal to voters who were leaning towards Ukip to vote "strategically" and prevent a Labour-led coalition which could have been supported by the Scottish National Party. One core slogan used by both prime ministers was "it's us or them".
Mr Cameron and senior Tories stuck to the strategy of linking Labour to the SNP, despite criticism. Much in the same way, Mr Netanyahu was criticised for warning Israelis on election day that "the rule of the right is in danger. Arab voters are coming in droves to the polls".
It worked for the Tories just as well, with wavering voters ensuring their surprise majority.
Mr Shaviv declined to comment when approached.
