With less than two weeks until the election, Israeli television programs will be interrupted by what can be best described as political propaganda broadcasts. Have lawmakers not yet realized that we are living in 2022, when cell phones are available to all, and there is no need to make viewers suffer through an hour of bizarre adverts?
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I truly gave it a chance, hoping that some party would break away from the outdated format and save the day, only to be disappointed with shots of pirates eating voting ballots.
There are two kinds of such propaganda broadcasts: one by veteran political parties with vast experience and the other by run-of-the-mill candidates who have risen to change the country for the better. The first group understands that such adverts are a waste of time and money, yet continues to participate, and the second produces low-budget broadcasts, with some filming it against the bookshelf of their living room (yes, Eli Avidar, I am referring to you).
Look at Likud: although its message of Israel having gone backward was clear, it was completely undermined by the four complicated animated videos it only chose to go with because it has lost confidence in the format of broadcasts. Rather than voting for Benjamin Netanyahu, it just makes you want to switch channels.
Fortunately for Likud, its broadcast was followed by that of the Hadash-Ta'al Arab faction, which sought to boost voters with inflammatory headlines about "police racism" and encouraging illegal takeover of land in the Negev.
Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid was no different. After an absurd video full of clichés and bragging about achievements that were all too general, the prime minister was shown standing over a table of consumer goods and boasting of having decreased their prices, which is ironic, as on that same day the public was informed that the costs would increase yet again.
Avigdor Lieberman had the messiest of campaigns, which included a confusing anti-Netanyahu narrative and "celebrations" of a successful economic year for the public when in reality, Israelis are struggling to make ends meet and wondering why housing prices have risen by 20% this year alone.
Shas focused on the economic matter with real testimonials of shoppers buying baby formula and catchy slogans like "hungry for change," which seemed to do the trick.
Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich opted for an awkward play on words of the Wolt delivery service, turning it into "Woltrich," while far-Right leader Itamar Ben Gvir went with the slogan – surprise surprise – of "Who are the owners here"?
And last but not least, Hadar Muchtar, who catapulted into politics at the age of 20, only to find herself in the midst of several controversies months later, "surprised" us by hitting the politicians' faces with a hammer. You wanted a change, didn't you?
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