On Friday, at the city's Berger Studios, Khenin's campaign benefited from a burst of support from an unprecedented municipal election campaign effort initiated by actress Riki Blich. The morning began with the filming of a clip that will be uploaded to the Internet in which some 20 artists, the overwhelming majority of them Tel Aviv residents, expressed support for communist Khenin. The campaign clip, which is sharp and critical, uses humor to criticize the last decade of municipal policy on core issues like the construction of luxury residential towers, the excessive traffic congestion in the city and the limits placed on the operating hours of nighttime leisure spots in the city center. The filming is slated to be completed in the coming days.
Each of the participants in the clip, which was directed by Yonatan Gurfinkel, contributed a few incisive sentences that encompass the disappointment over what's going on in the city, with the main theme being: "This is not my city." Pini Tavger bemoans the soaring rental prices in the city, saying: "I came to see an apartment, and I see another 20 people in line, filling out a 'waiting list.' On my bank statement, I see that half of my money is spent on rent. This is not my city." Gottlieb names various local bars in a riff on how early they are forced to close.
When asked if the artists' mobilization on behalf of Khenin indicates that he is moving in a "more populist direction", Blich said it was the celebrities who came to Khenin with their idea. Blich said: "Everyone is volunteering here, including the sound and lighting people. I was at the Ir Lekulanu conference in [Tel Aviv's] Florentin neighborhood. Movement representatives there presented concrete plans for improving the city in areas such as transportation, housing and environmental quality. Unfortunately, from my experience with the media, I know that it is very hard to captivate a large audience with carefully explained and detailed plans." Rosenblum said "every effort to replace someone in office is a good thing – so that he will feel this tension, that he will not be considered a shoo-in. Khenin is a respected figure thanks to his work in the Knesset," he said, "and he managed to gather around him a large number of young people who will support him."