Attacks put Israel under siege at home and abroad
Five Israelis were shot dead at a Likud branch packed with voters and a nearby outdoor bus terminal in the northern Israeli town of Beit Shean. In Kenya, at least two Israelis, six Kenyans and three suicide bombers died in an attack on an Israeli-owned hotel, and two missiles just missed a commercial Israeli airliner after take-off.
The Likud race was widely seen as determining who will lead Israel after the January 28 general election, because the rightist bloc of parties led by Likud has enjoyed commanding leads in the polls over the dovish bloc led by the Labour Party.
