While I would like to take credit for the headline, I can’t.
The original headline from the UK Guardian reads ‘’In Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko will do anything to cling on to power’’ and accompanies an article written by Katsiaryna Shmatsina.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/in-belarus-alexander-lukashenko-will-do-anything-to-cling-on-to-power/ar-BB17PclA
Lukashenko is billed as Europe’s last remaining dictator – arguable I know. For many in Israel, Netanyahu is no less a dictator, still, thank goodness, somewhat short of Lukashenko antics, but a dictator nevertheless. Bibi has not yet followed Lukashenko in cutting the Internet to stop social media attacks but certainly given the chance, Netanyahu would curb the power and use negative of social media, much like Erdogan of Turkey has done.
https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/08/08/turkeys-president-cracks-down-on-social-media
Given that the Boy Wonder is a social media animal, Netanyahu, and his poodles need to find a balance between anti and pro-social media. In other words, find a way to bend and control social media to his, Netanyahu's, sole advantage.
Another recent Guardian headline also equally applies to Israel, maybe even more so than its original target ‘’Israel doesn't have a government, it has a permanent campaigning machine’’.
The actual headline reads ‘’Britain doesn't have a government, it has a permanent campaigning machine’’.
The write, Alan Finlayson, argues that ‘’Under Johnson and Cummings, No 10 is fixated on opinion polls and gimmicky announcements’’. Switch Johnson, Cummings and No. 10 for Netanyahu and his poodles, and the headline could easily read ‘’Under Netanyahu, the Likud is fixated on opinion polls and gimmicky announcements’’.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/10/britain-government-permanent-campaigning-machine-johnson-cummings
There are many touchpoints between Johnson Britain and Netanyahu’s Israel.
I urge readers to take a few minutes and watch the following YouTube clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d4sDwFgNYQ
President Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, discusses his strong friendship with President George H. W. Bush, 41st president and founder of Points of Light program, and how President Bush asked him to preserve the program.
Also telling are the words spoken by Clinton towards the end of the clip, he says ‘’How much energy we waste fighting over things that don't matter"
Clinton credits his time spent with Bush senior after they both left office as being a turning point in his life. Barbara Bush has spoken of the friendship between Bush senior and Clinton, pointing out that George senior was to some extent a father-like figure to Bill Clinton.
Clinton himself went as far as to joke that Barbara Bush considered Clinton as another son, somewhat akin to the “black sheep” of the family.
Without question, so-called leaders, politicians, whether in Washington or Jerusalem can learn a valuable lesson from Bush, both father, and son, as well as from Clinton and Obama.
The current resident of the White House no doubt thinks of himself as beyond reproach and therefore not in need of a little humanity. Just think about two of his recent outbursts; (1) his desire to be added to Mount Rushmore and (2) in a presidential race, he could beat George Washington. Talk about being a narcissist.
Mind you, much the same can be said of the current resident of Balfour Street.
Recently an ex-Israeli “Keren” living, I believe in Australia, reportedly posted on Facebook a call for action relating to the permanent removal of Crime Minister Netanyahu.
(For those who don’t know, a “Karen” is social-media shorthand meaning a middle-aged white woman, who makes a big fuss, and is not-so-blissfully ignorant.)
Let me reiterate, yet again, so there can be no misunderstanding, I don’t support, in any sharp or form, the violent removal of Netanyahu. We lived through this scenario 25 years ago with the Rabin assassination, which apart of the murder of Rabin achieved nothing. It’s impossible to speculate on how Israel would be today and Rabin not been murdered and the Oslo Accords had moved forward.
In the US, did he assassinations of Gandi, John and Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King achieve anything? Did the shooting of George Wallace and Ronald Reagan achieve anything? The list goes on and on.
And if this “Keren’’ is so anti-Netanyahu, let her come to Israel and take her place in Balfour Street. No doubt sitting at home, safe and sound in a comfortable armchair is preferable to being hit by a water cannon in Jerusalem.
I have no time, patience, or sympathy for these types of people. If you feel strongly about an issue, to paraphrase US Marine Colonel Jessup (from the movie, A Few Good Men), “pick up a weapon, and stand a post”.
In other words, don’t bitch, don’t write stupid posts. We know that the ‘’pen’’, when used correctly, is a mighty weapon, use it correctly in the fight to remove Netanyahu, before its too late.
Regarding last week’s blast in Beirut, it can’t have escaped anyone notices that almost immediately Netanyahu offered Israeli aid to Lebanon, “We have no fight with either the Lebanese people or the Iranian people, but with their governments,” he said.
Tel Aviv mayor, Ron Huldai tweeted “Humanity takes precedence over every conflict, and our heart is with the Lebanese people in the aftermath of the terrible disaster that they’ve suffered,” on announcing that Tel Aviv city hall would be lit-up with the Lebanese flag.
Naturally enough, one voice was not happy about Ron Huldai’s gesture, claiming that it was illegal to display an enemy flag (symbol). Now, we know that the Boy Wonder, is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but surely even he can see the merit of showing compassion to the people of Lebanon. As his father said ‘“We have no fight with either the Lebanese people or the Iranian people, but with their governments,”
I guess the crux of the matter is that the Boy Wonder simply lacks compassion.