We were met this morning by contrasting stories from our benevolent would-be dictator, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his appointed Corona Czar, Ronni Gamzu.
We, the public, are left with the puzzle, who is telling the truth, who is telling a ‘porky’.
The answer is at best, ‘six-of-one’, and ‘half-a-dozen of the other’. In other words, who do you believe? A man who is known to be libel with the truth, when it suits him or a man who is battling to rid Israel or at least, stem the flow of COVID19.
‘’Netanyahu: Lockdown unavoidable, claim I’m imposing it to end protests is absurd.’’
‘’PM pans ‘populist’ criticism of policies: ‘Enough is enough. We’re in a new reality’; Lapid: Netanyahu’s failure led to avoidable lockdown, but we’ll follow the rules’’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-lockdown-unavoidable-claim-i-did-it-to-end-protests-is-absurd/
VS.
‘’TV: Virus czar says vote to shut down was all about protests, ‘made me sick’’’
‘’Ronni Gamzu said to expresses disgust behind closed doors, assert Netanyahu moved to back complete lockdown only once he understood it was the only way to stop rallies’’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-virus-czar-said-vote-for-full-closure-all-about-protests-made-me-sick/
Going back to another article about Netanyahu, we have the story that Bibi wants to introduce a state of emergency to counter the demonstrations against him.
‘’Netanyahu mulls using emergency regulations to limit protests; Gantz, AG opposed’’
‘’Defense minister, Mandelblit voice opposition to the move; PM considering enacting restrictions to prevent Saturday night demonstrations going ahead unchanged’’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-mulls-using-emergency-regulations-to-limit-protests-gantz-ag-opposed/
So, in one breath Bibi tells us that the lockdown is not being imposed to stifle the protesters, and in the same breath, his office is working, apparently, flat out to find a reason for imposing a state of emergency, to stop the demonstrations against him.
This is the face of a dictator.
As much as he denies it, the impression that in Israel has is that our benevolent would-be dictator is more interested in echoing Neville Chamberlain and bring us ‘peace in our time’. Certainly, a welcome prospect if it included those nearer to home. I appreciate that there is a bigger picture to look at. The thinking is that with normalization agreements in place with the UAE, Bahrain, and hopefully, other (Muslim) countries, the Abbas and maybe even Hamas, will feel isolated and understand that reaching an accommodation with Israel is in their long-term best interests.
The problem is that while Netanyahu pursues this goal, Israel is fighting a battle for survival and is devoid of leadership and focus.
Look at it this way; Bibi is on one hand hell-bent on getting Trump reelected, even at the expense of the citizens of Israel that he is sworn to serve. Netanyahu is also chasing that all elusive Noble Peace Prize to further, what he believes is his world statesman statues.
And with all this going on, like Nero, Bibi fiddles while Israel burns.
Netanyahu considers himself a world statesman, certainly, Sara Netanyahu does. Netanyahu should take heed of the sign that graced Harry Truman's desk during his White House years, ‘the buck stops here’. Netanyahu needs to take responsibility, not only for the good, which he does with great delight but also for the bad. It's no good blaming others, he is the prime minister.
Netanyahu thinks of himself as a world statesman, let him take a moment, and take a leaf from a real-world-class statesman, Winston Churchill. On assuming the premiership in 1940, and asked what his policy and that of his government was, he retorted with those now famous ‘’Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat" speech, and ‘’victory at all costs’’.
https://www.thoughtco.com/blood-toil-tears-and-sweat-winston-churchill-1779309
Churchill’s speeches rallied the nation during its darkest days. He pulled no punches, did not try to dress-up the situation, and ruled his cabinet with a rod of iron. (We know from history that Churchill was often underhanded in his dealings when he felt it was for the good of the war effort.) Netanyahu would do well to learn from Churchill the comfort that addresses, during the time of crises, have on the population. Or maybe, it is beneath his dignity to scope to address the citizens of Israel? After all, he has far more important things to do.
Don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this story, which despite the ‘fake news’ label from the PM’s office must have a ring-of-true to it:
‘’Netanyahus said to bring suitcases of laundry from Israel to wash at White House’’
‘’PM denies ‘recycled’ rumors after Washington Post reports he and wife Sara repeatedly brought soiled clothes to be laundered, dry cleaned when staying at US president’s guesthouse’’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahus-said-to-bring-suitcases-of-laundry-when-staying-as-white-house-guests/
Read the article and decide who is telling the truth?
Talking about the ‘Truth’, the incumbent EL AL board and management have just woken up to the fact that Eli Rozenberg, the 27yearold yeshiva student who purchased 42.88% of the company for $150 million, told a whopping ‘porky’. Yes, even yeshiva students lie, certainly, we can say mislead the EL AL board and the Israeli government.
So who is pulling the strings? Young Eli’s father, Kenny, who is not an Israeli citizen we know gave the $150 million to his son, but the puppet master would appear to be Kenny Rozenberg’s rabbi, who according to earlier reports told or ordered Rosenberg senior to buy EL AL. To make it clear, it would appear that a New York-based rabbi is the real power behind this sleek takeover. No wonder the incumbent EL AL board and management, who have just realized the deception are up-in-arms.
“El Al pushes back against purchase of controlling stake by yeshiva student’’
‘’National airline requests gov’t ministers reconsider sale of shares to Eli Rozenberg, as it asserts he is a frontman for his non-Israeli father, which goes against regulations’’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/el-al-pushes-back-against-purchase-of-controlling-stake-by-new-immigrant/
And
‘’El Al has said it opposes a yeshiva student’s recent purchase of a controlling stake in the company, accusing him of being a frontman for his father, businessman Kenneth Rozenberg, who is not an Israeli citizen and legally cannot hold shares in the Israeli flagship airline.’’
https://theworldnews.net/il-news/el-al-pushes-back-against-purchase-of-controlling-stake-by-new-immigrant
And just to show how dirty this fight is going to be, the following is from Globes, published today: "Rozenberg: El Al board not pursuing airline's aims." "Eli Rozenberg asks why the El Al board is still backing the Borovitz Group, even though it did not invest a penny in last week's public offering."
"Eli Rozenberg has reacted angrily to the demand by El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE: ELAL) that he should not be allowed to take control of the airline because he is a 'straw man' acting on behalf of his father businessman Kenny Rozenberg. A letter sent to the El Al board by Eli Rozenberg's lawyers Advs. Adi Zaltzman and Joseph Benkel of Shibolet law firm has asked why the El Al board is still backing the Borovitz Group and charged that the board is not working in the best interests of the airline." https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-rozenberg-el-al-board-not-pursuing-airlines-aims-1001343832
Just so its clear, young Eli is not really asking this question, its the the various puppet masters standing behind him.
This could is the coming face of Israel’s national airline.
Does the government of Israel not care?
Is Bibi so focused on his Noble Peace Prize and getting Trump reelected that he can’t see the farce going on under his nose, maybe he just does not care?
And what our beloved ministry of transport, Miri Regev, why is she so quiet suddenly, is this to be her legacy, the circus that is EL AL?
Maybe, like Bibi, Regev, Katz, and the other ministers are just happy to see the back of EL AL and are willing to let the Rozesberg’s roll the dice and let them fall where they will.