The US sponsored de-democratization of Israel (#1)

Unless something good happens, on the 3rd of March Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be standing at the podium of the United States Congress, and giving his speech. He will stick to his cyclic and rudimentary rhetoric; purposefully swinging the memory of the holocaust, threatening with Islamist terrorism, intimidating with the prospect of nuclear Iran – probably mentioning 9/11 – and tie them all together to draw the futile and superficial conclusion that “Israel has the right to defend itself”, or in that particular case that the Obama administration is failing in protecting Israel’s interests in relation to Iran. His voice as always will be deep and with a slight but noticeable flavor of catharsis. As an underline he will present one, carefully chosen, apparently strong, maybe even shocking, or possibly comically confusing, pretentiously “innovative” argument.

Although the people in front of Netanyahu will be the congressmen and congresswomen of the Unites States, the real addressees of his words will be the citizens of Israel, watching him on their TV sets and computer screens across the ocean and across the time zone difference of 7 hours. 15 days later, in Jerusalem, it will be declared that by a narrow squeak his party have again received the largest number of votes, what will ensure yet another term of his reign. Unless something good happens.

The scandalous affair of the Israeli PM’s questionable invitation to the congress adds dirt to the recently befouled relations between the White House and Israel but at the same time helps to secure his reelection. In fact, the role of Netanyahu as the guest star of the Republicans in their power struggle against the Democrats is secondary to the benefits it reaps back home. This international political alliance is only one of the benefits provided by the patronage of the Jewish-American billionaire Sheldon Adelson.

By far the most significant contribution of Adelson to Netanyahu’s political career and success is the establishment and sponsorship of the freely distributed daily newspaper called “Israel Hayom” (Israel Today). It is described as having “breezy and concise” writing style and handed out without charge on the central streets of Israel, at bus and train stations, and on busy junctions as well as delivered to offices and workplaces in business centers and industrial zones. So successful is its distribution and so appealing is its lack of monetary cost that it quickly became the most widely read newspaper in Israel on weekdays. But the best part about it, is that it entirely dedicated to promoting and propagandizing the persona and agenda of Benjamin Netanyahu.

From unrestrained and coordinated assaults on all kinds of political rivals, to the misrepresentation of actual events in order to redirect responsibility and criticism from the PM’s office, the newspaper does it all. So significant and far reaching is its influence that Israeli rightwing politicians, members of Netanyahu’s government and coalition, people of the same ideology, tried to pass a bill to ban the newspaper as it undistinguishably targets anyone who challenges the incumbent PM. The Israeli media is heavily influenced by interest groups and their wealthy sponsors, but the local players and their deep pockets are petty cash for the dollars of “Uncle Sam”(o-witz) from Las Vegas.

The colossal enterprise, in local terms, is in fact not a cheap one and the private corporation of “Israel Hayom”, though not required to disclose its financial matters, is estimated to lose from $20 to $80 million yearly, compensated from Adelson’s own fortune. But this does not deter the gambling magnate who reportedly spent $150 million on Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2012. In spite the defeat of the republican candidate, in Israel the investments are paying off for more than 6 year. Except the implementation of the political ideology of his sponsor, recently the Israeli PM was accused, by a high ranking Japanese official, of using his capacity to promote Adelson’s interests during an official visit to Japan.

It is arguable if a head of a state can be considered legitimate and democratic if he has the most distributed newspaper in his state serving as his propaganda mouthpiece. But Netanyahu doesn’t stop there; in the recent years he promoted an act to obligate the Israeli public television channel to air content provided by the PM office, while at the same time pushing to close a private television channel that is known to be critical of his policies. More recently he initiated a plan of establishing a governmental news website, also under the authority of his office.