For Israelis ‘The Winner Takes All’
By Paul Goldman, NBC News Producer
TEL AVIV, Israel – With Israelis in the grip of U.S. election mania and anxiously awaiting the results, Israeli radio rang out the dulcet tone of Abba’s "The Winner Takes it All."
Mike's Place, a bar in Tel Aviv, that was decorated with American flags and eight TV sets transmitting the live events from the U.S. became a gathering place for Obama supporters.
A renowned establishment, Mike’s Place attracts a mix of local youngsters and foreign travelers. It was also the site of a 2003 suicide attack that killed three and wounded over 50 people.
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| Reuters |
| Supporters of U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama cheer as they monitor the results of the U.S. presidential election in a bar in Jerusalem on Nov. 5. |
But at 4 a.m. on Wednesday morning local Tel Aviv time, the bar was packed with Democrat party supporters drinking beer and waiting for the poll results to come out.
At 5:59 a.m. the countdown started: "Four, Three, Two, One!" and the crowd sprang-up from their chairs with happy cheers and began hugging each other. Even one of the waitresses, pushing her way through the happy crowed, burst into happy tears.
Once it was clear Obama had won, Joanne Yaron, a volunteer for "Democrats Support Israel," praised the result and what she thinks it will mean for Israel. "I think this is wonderful for Israel, I think seven and a half years of ignoring the entire Israel-Palestinian situation is not being friendly to Israel." Apparently she wasn’t a fan of the Bush administration’s efforts to broker a peace deal.
Sara Manor, an American living in Israel, was wearing a tee-shirt saying "Obama Biden for Israel." She said she was exhausted, given that it was 6 a.m., but that she was thrilled with the outcome. "It’s the best I felt in eight years. It’s almost hard to believe, incredible. It’s a feeling I think my parents had back in the 60’s."
Nadav Gal, who was also sporting an Obama T-shirt, was so excited about the result that he kept on dancing while he was talking to me. "Relief, relief after eight years, total relief. I’m happy for this country, for the States and for the rest of the world," he said.
But there were some others who were a little less joyful about the outcome of the election. "Here in Israel, it’s with a grain of salt. It’s a bit scary because we don’t know exactly what’s going to be," said Arie Cohen. "But one thing is for sure, the idea of hope and integrity is what we are all hoping for."
By then, the sun was out and Tel Aviv residents were starting to wake up. The crowds at Mike’s Place started to trickle out onto the street, and began looking for a new place to party on.
