Netanyahu blasts off on Lapid, Gantz through NASA Jupiter image

Ahead of Israeli elections, Benjamin Netanyahu used NASA's Jupiter image to claim Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz can't form a government, and was met with Twitter backlash.

By AARON REICH, URI BINA
AUGUST 2020: Then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces the establishment of normalized relations with the UAE, the beginning of what became known as the Abraham Accords, at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. (photo credit: Abir Sultan/Reuters)
AUGUST 2020: Then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces the establishment of normalized relations with the UAE, the beginning of what became known as the Abraham Accords, at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.
(photo credit: Abir Sultan/Reuters)

While much of the world gazed in awe at the breathtaking image of Jupiter taken by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu saw something else: Proof that Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz can't form a government without the help of MK Ahmad Tibi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

"Incredible and beautiful!" Netanyahu tweeted Monday afternoon.

"Even from there, we can all see that Lapid and Gantz cannot form a government without Tibi and the Muslim Brotherhood."

Now, this tweet does not contain insight on any supposed prophetic qualities bestowed upon the former Israeli prime minister by the planet Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. Rather, the goal seems to be to capitalize on a politically neutral moment that reflects some of the pinnacles of scientific achievement and turn it into an insult at his political rivals in the lead-up to Election Day.

This itself is nothing new or astronomical - Netanyahu has had on many occasions declared that a government led by him is the only option to avoid a government supported by or including Arab Israeli parties like the Islamist Ra'am Party, which currently sits in government, and with the Joint List led by Ayman Odeh and Ahmad Tibi.

"You know it’s not earth, right?! But almost as big as your ego and incitements."

Twitter user on Netanyahu’s Jupiter tweet

No, Netanyahu's Twitter wasn't hacked

But that didn't stop Israeli netizens from commenting on Netanyahu's out-of-this-world political jab.

"@NASAWEBB please disregard this redundant old man," one Twitter user wrote. "Ever since he lost the elections he srarted insighting against Muslims, even though they are 20% of Israel's population. Chances are he will serve years in prison for corruption and misconduct (trials are in progress)."

"I don't know how to tell you this, but the picture doesn't show the Earth," tweeted another, as if implying Netanyahu does not recognize that the planet is Jupiter and not the Earth.

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"You know it’s not earth, right?!" another Twitter user noted. "But almost as big as your ego and indictments."  

"The level of stupidity crosses borders. You embarrass Israel to the world," tweeted another.

Others wrote asking if someone had in fact taken control of Netanyahu's Twitter - and if this was genuine, suggest he fire his social media team.

Another response was using Netanyahu's tweet as a model for takes at his expense.

"Incredible and beautiful!" one user noted. "Even from there we can all see that Netanyahus media operators cannot form the basic task of running a Twitter page without embarrassing the entire country."

But others took a more somber and down-to-Earth response, reflecting on an apparent reflection on the moral decline in Israeli politics.

"Some people might think @netanyahu's account has been hacked," noted The Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Yaakov Katz. 

"Sadly, this is real and this is what has become of Israeli political discourse."



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