Hoping Bibi’s Schalit photo-op could be a Dukakis moment

By Ami Kaufman October 19, 2011 | Edit

As my colleague Dimi Reider posted yesterday, the social networks are swamped with pictures of PM Binyamin Netanyahu popping up in famous historical photos, after seeing him in almost every picture that the government released yesterday during the Schalit prisoner swap.

The momentum seems to be in full swing, and anyone who opened up their Facebook this morning was most probably met by a whole new batch of funny photos. Here are a few more:

I can’t help but hope that the PM’s efforts to promote himself so aggressively yesterday could actually backfire somehow. It reminded me of the notorious Michael Dukakis photo, which some claim lost him the campaign. Dukakis was trying to play it strong on defense, even though he wanted to cut “Star Wars.” Didn’t work out too well.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVg8Ztn6sgg[/youtube]

Bibi’s trying to be the “national father”, despite negotiating a controversial deal – that could have been signed much earlier – to free the “national son.”

Could Bibi’s ego bring him down? I doubt it. But it has the potential of shedding more light on his character and on his true motives.

Speaking of ego, one interesting thing I heard last night was that Channel 10 reporter Raviv Drucker counted how many times Bibi used the word “I” in his 10 minute speech at the airforce base yesterday. 37 times. Thirty seven!

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TEST TEST GAL Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war. The world is reeling from Israel’s unprecedented onslaught on Gaza, inflicting mass devastation and death upon besieged Palestinians, as well as the atrocious attack and kidnappings by Hamas in Israel on October 7. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing this violence. We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to intensify their attacks on Palestinians. The most far-right government in Israel’s history is ramping up its policing of dissent, using the cover of war to silence Palestinian citizens and left-wing Jews who object to its policies. This escalation has a very clear context, one that +972 has spent the past 14 years covering: Israeli society’s growing racism and militarism, entrenched occupation and apartheid, and a normalized siege on Gaza. We are well positioned to cover this perilous moment – but we need your help to do it. This terrible period will challenge the humanity of all of those working for a better future in this land. Palestinians and Israelis are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives. Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is a leading media voice of this movement, a desperately needed platform where Palestinian and Israeli journalists, activists, and thinkers can report on and analyze what is happening, guided by humanism, equality, and justice. Join us.

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