1. About an hour earlier, at the city‘s International Convention Center (Binyanei Ha‘ooma), he gave a long speech to a Movement for Quality Government (MQG) convention.

2. Standing next to MQG head Eliad Shraga and calling for "all–out war" on corruption, to resounding applause, Ayalon was in his element, his "Mr.

3. But if, in the final analysis, I persuade one or two people in this hall to vote for me – all the better." Advertisement Ayalon said that people feel powerless to influence events, and leaders have changed so frequently over the past seven years that "the feeling is that it is not the leaders, but the system, and therefore there is a desire for a strong leader, even if he is corrupt – as long as he‘s strong." Ayalon said this crisis evolved because Israelis wanted leaders "who would take us somewhere, though no one defined where." MQG awarded Ayalon a special commendation for having produced an ethical code for the Shin Bet security service when he headed it.