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Friday is the busiest morning for the stall-holders at Mahane Yehuda market in west Jerusalem as local Jews come to stock up for the family meal of the Sabbath.

But while it is the cheapest place to shop on this side of the divided city, for many these bargains have come at a price.

In the past five years alone, three suicide bombs and one car bomb have been detonated here, killing 42 people and injuring more than 300.

With this kind of atmosphere, it is little wonder that Likud, Ariel Sharon's party, is not bothering to canvass the crowds for support, even though it is only a few days before Israel's most important election in a generation.

Jerusalem traditionally votes for Likud, and there seems little doubt Sharon is assured of victory on Tuesday.

Despite the financial scandals that have dogged the Sharon name over the past few weeks, the majority of shoppers seemed certain of their voting intentions and said they would be