Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have been an elite IDF combat fighter and a United Nations diplomat, but never before did he attempt a career as a lifeguard until a new elections video released on Wednesday – with English subtitles.
Netanyahu, who seems relaxed and at ease in front of the camera, acts the role of a lifeguard who is “ready for every scenario” and is able to hit back tennis and racket balls common on Israeli beaches, while telling his audience that “in the stormy waters of the Middle East, it’s vital that Israel be an island of stability.”
The video isn’t lacking in laughs. When the people he meets complain about the jellyfish, he seems surprised and says: “Liberman promised to take them out 48 hours ago,” A jab at the former defense minister who boasted then that he will have Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in 48 hours unless he complies with Israeli demands. He did not comply, and Liberman never followed through on his threat.
Blue and White also did not remain unscathed as Netanyahu, using a megaphone, instructs people surfing on a boogie board that they are “on the Left” and they need to return “to the Right – it is much, much safer!” The jab is towards Blue and White member Moshe Ya’alon who is nick-named “Bogie.”
Both Liberman and Ya’alon served as defense ministers under Netanyahu, who has recently become the longest serving leader in modern Israel's history, passing David Ben-Gurion in July.