this debate challenge is silly. Netanyahu is right for not jumping to participate, even though it is favorable to him. You cannot have a sitting prime minister debate the heads of all the parties together. The entire thing, even forgetting about Netanyahu, is unworkable. They want an American style election debate, but the electoral system is different here than in the USA. Some of the parties have nothing on their agenda except for one or two issues.

If they want a real debate, and I think it should happen, they shopuld have two seperate debates:
1. a debate between Netanyahu and Herzog-Livni, the candidates for the Prime Ministerial spot
2. a debate among heads of parties, not including Herzog and Netanyahu (though maybe Likud and Labor should send the number 2 person)

I might even say a third debate - the second, above, would be participants from the main parties (that would have to be defined somehow), and the third would be representatives from the smaller parties.

These would be good debates.

One large debate, with the heads of every single party, as is proposed right now, would accomplish nothing. They would not have enough time for each rep to present and debate on each issue. Splitting the prime ministerial debate and the party debate is a better idea, in my opinion.