Disclaimer: The above line was taken from an excellent Opinion piece penned by John Kampfner for the UK Guardian newspaper. “Clowns belong in the circus – but unless we take politics seriously there will be more like Boris Johnson” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/13/boris-johnson-britain-politics?CMP=share_btn_link
While it would be wrong to paint all 120 MKs clowns, certainly ‘clowns’ of various shades represent significant numbers in the Knesset.
And many of those clowns make Boris Johnson look like the proveable choirboy. BoJo may be many things, but a choirboy he ain’t. And yet compared to many in Jerusalem, he is.
To prove the point but the rule of clowns in the hallowed halls of the Knesset, consider the following from The Times of Israel ‘Live Blogs’ – June 14, 2023:
“Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu tells Channel 13 news that former prime minister Ehud Barak’s calls for civil disobedience over the government’s judicial overhaul push are “worse” than former president Moshe Katsav’s rape of a woman, which the latter was convicted of and served in jail for.”
“Harming the State of Israel and calling for civil disobedience is very grave. I’m not sure that someone coming and wanting to dismantle the State of Israel isn’t as bad as rape,” says Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party.
“Asked whether Barak’s remarks during anti-government demonstrations are really as bad as Katsav’s rape, Eliyahu says: “It’s worse. Someone who wants to dismantle the State of Israel harms the most wonderful thing mankind has created, which we created with our own two hands.”
“Two days ago, Likud MK Nissim Vaturi suggested that “in other countries,” Barak would be executed for his fierce criticism of the government’s judicial overhaul efforts and his calls for civil disobedience, but in democratic Israel, he should just go to prison for “at least 20 years.”
Do you understand? This clown believes that rape is acceptable, after all, women are purely the property of their husbands. Or as women, they are inferior to men and therefore can be treated disparagingly.
What a wally this clown is.
And what about this story relating to another clown, Amichai Chikli?
“The center-left Israel Policy Forum has come to the defense of its more dovish counterpart J Street, which Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli branded yesterday as “hostile.”
“Diaspora Affairs Minister Chikli’s comments about J Street are at odds with the goal of strengthening ties between Israel and US Jews. We hope that Chikli spends more time listening to US Jewish concerns rather than dismissing those who disagree with him as hostile,” the Israel Policy Forum tweets.
As TOI reader wrote in the comments section following the above story - “Chikli chiki-dee” – which seems most fitting for this clown.
"Biden administration official: Israel’s Chikli ‘does not understand the American Jewish Diaspora'”
“Blaming the photographer shows how much he does not understand the American Jewish Diaspora,” the official said. “His comments have ramifications. The Biden administration is watching.”
Just to further show his clown credentials, below are “Chikli chiki-dee” comments on Deborah Lipstadt.
“Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli appeared in an interview Thursday to dismiss US antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt as a “nice lady who deals with antisemitism,” and is a leftist.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/chikli-appears-to-dismiss-us-antisemitism-envoy-as-a-nice-lady-and-a-leftist/
More stories relating to Knesset clowns, and remember we pay these wallies their salaries:
“Far-right minister calls Bank of Israel governor a ‘savage’; Netanyahu condemns”
“Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu receives wide criticism for comments accusing Amir Yaron of ‘sullying Israel’s name abroad and harming the credit rating’”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/far-right-minister-calls-bank-of-israel-governor-a-savage-netanyahu-condemns/
I guess we should not be too hard on this under-educated clown.
Another educational-challenged clown is Yitzhak Pindus.
“Coalition MK: LGBTQ community poses greater threat to Israel than Hezbollah or Hamas” “Yitzhak Pindrus of the United Torah Judaism party says that it’s his duty to ‘not only prevent the Pride parade, but in general to prevent this movement’” https://www.timesofisrael.com/coalition-mk-lgbtq-community-poses-greater-threat-to-israel-than-hezbollah-or-hamas/
Part of his remarks include:
"In my worldview, the most dangerous thing to the State of Israel — more than Islamic State, more than Hezbollah, more than Hamas — is the permissiveness regarding arayot, because that’s what the Torah says,” Pindrus said, using a term for sexual relationships and practices that are forbidden by the Bible and by Jewish law, including intercourse between men, among many other examples not related to LGBTQ people.”
“Not the economy. This is the most dangerous thing for the State of Israel,” Pindrus continued, quoting Torah verses saying that the punishment for sexual permissiveness would be the Jewish people being banished from the Land of Israel.”
“A bunch of nasty anarchists, such evil,” said the lawmaker, arguing that it was his right not to have his child to learn mathematics and other core curriculum subjects. The government recently allotted millions to Haredi schools that eschew core curricula. “When they tell me ‘democracy,’ I laugh in their faces.”
So, this educational-challenged clown, with his worldview has, in his opinion the right to deny his children a complete education – his democratic right he claims – yet those who disagree with him are ‘a bunch of nasty anarchists’.
The problem with this clown and others like him – the educational-challenged – have no concept of ‘civil disobedience as promoted by Mohandas Gandhi, often referred to as The Mahatma and MLK.
Gandhi adopted the term "civil disobedience" to describe his strategy of non-violently refusing to cooperate with injustice, but he preferred the Sanskrit word satyagraha (devotion to truth).
The Mahatma was jailed many times. At one trial he said, “In my humble opinion, non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.”
Martin Luther King took civil disobedience to a new level.
Shame on Pindus for disparaging, worthless comments.
Better he crawls back to the ghetto and buries his head in the sand.
It will not come as a surprise that there are also female clowns.
Leading the pack is Public Diplomacy Minister Galit Distel Atbaryan.
Can someone tell me what the hell a Public Diplomacy Minister does?
Her rant at fellow female MK, Gila Gamliel in the cabinet went unchallenged by BoBo and the cabinet secretary according to reports I read.
“Public diplomacy minister tells fellow Likud member to ‘bite me, retard’ at cabinet meeting” https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/public-diplomacy-minister-tells-fellow-likud-member-to-bite-me-retard-at-cabinet-meeting/
I bet BoBo and Queen Sara are fuming!
“Herzog said set to meet Biden, address Congress in July, as Netanyahu still shut out”
“Hebrew media reports say president will make US trip in third week of July, with address to joint session of Congress expected on July 19; sides do not confirm date”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/herzog-said-set-to-meet-biden-address-congress-in-july-as-netanyahu-still-shut-out/
Michal Herzog is married to Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, and by default, she, and NOT Queen Sara, is the First Lady of Israel.
Mrs. Herzog needs to watch her back.
Delightful story:
“Republican Group To Run Blistering Anti-Trump Ad On Fox News During Prime Time”
https://news.yahoo.com/republican-group-run-blistering-anti-072452760.html
The reason for the ads according to the Group.
“No one is above the law, not even former presidents.”
“You need a non-toxic team (to succeed)”
This headline, which refers to the success of a British breakfast TV show, is most appropriate to BoBo.
Danny Danon’s opinion piece on the passing of Pat Robertson is poignant and unlike Trump and legions of others in the US and elsewhere around the world, highlights a devoted friend.
“Saying goodbye to a true friend of Israel” “Pat Robertson was an individual whose friendship with the State of Israel went beyond politics, rooted in a profound spiritual belief.” https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-746060
For the fallen of Israel not to be forgotten, we MUST be their voice.