An 18-year-old art student in Jerusalem discovered the hard way this month that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t care for irony.
For a class assignment, she took the famous Barack Obama “Hope” poster and changed the face to Mr Netanyahu’s, next to a noose, with the word “Rope” replacing “Hope”. The student wanted to portray the prime minister as a hangman, who extinguishes hope of peace with incitement and political repression.
The Israeli police and Mr Netanyahu, however, viewed the work not as a critique of incitement but as an example of it – with the noose intended for the prime minister. The student is now the subject of a well-publicised investigation.
As with most art, context is everything. For Israelis on the left, as well as Israel’s minority of Palestinian citizens, Mr Netanyahu is considered the king of incitement. And in recent weeks he has lived up to his reputation.
The background to the hangman image is Mr Netanyahu’s incitement against former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in the mid-1990s, as the latter tried to drum up support for the Oslo Accords. Footage of the period shows Mr Netanyahu addressing crowds holding aloft placards of Rabin in Nazi uniform. Months later a right-wing activist shot Rabin dead in the centre of Tel Aviv.
Mr Netanyahu’s current conduct has revived those memories, leading another former prime minister, Ehud Barak, to label him Israel’s “inciter-in-chief”.
Heading the list of targets has been the fifth of Israel’s population who are Palestinian. Mr Netanyahu lost no time in blaming them for the forest fires that raged across Israel last month. He and other ministers referred to an “arson intifada” and “pyro-terrorism”, though experts attributed the blazes to months of drought, high winds and a lack of preparedness.
Weeks later, no one has been charged with politically motivated arson. Nonetheless, Mr Netanyahu has not retracted his incendiary finger-pointing.
In the parliament, the prime minister has led a boycott of the Joint List, a coalition of Palestinian parties, after they refused to attend the funeral of former president Shimon Peres.
Faced with a court ruling to dismantle a tiny settlement outpost in the West Bank, Mr Netanyahu has announced a campaign of demolitions in Israel of homes belonging to Palestinians. He has accused the minority of rampant illegal building, glossing over the fact their communities have been denied master plans authorising construction.
And David Bitan, chairman of Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party, declared last month his hope that Palestinian citizens “won’t come to the polls at all” at the next election. He was expanding on the prime minister’s notorious election-eve warning last year that the minority was “coming out in droves” to vote. Notably, Mr Netanyahu has not rebuked Mr Bitan.
There is little doubt that such statements are influencing public opinion. A survey this month showed that just over half of Israeli Jews want Palestinian citizens stripped of the vote for questioning whether Israel can be both Jewish and democratic. A higher number, 59 per cent, object to Palestinian parties being included in the government.
Aside from rebel art students and Palestinian minority leaders, only a handful of institutions continue to criticise the government, even if meekly. They are in Mr Netanyahu’s sights too.
The government is threatening to overhaul the supreme court to rid it of “liberal” judges, and has conditioned arts funding on theatres touring the settlements. The Haaretz newspaper is, according to Mr Netanyahu’s office, peddling “Nazi propaganda”, while the broadcasting authority has been “captured by leftists”.
On Sunday, the government approved a “Facebook bill” to block any online content it deems incitement. Presumably Mr Netanyahu will be immune.
Another bill disqualifies Israeli human rights groups from eligibility for national service volunteers, after an earlier law suggested they are traitors for receiving overseas funding.
The education ministry has introduced new rules to deter schools from inviting speakers from human rights organisations. And an “ethics code” is being devised to police the political discourse of higher education staff.
All of this is designed to taint left wing speech and activity as “treasonous”. The Israeli public has received the message loud and clear. The same poll this month found 71 per cent of Israeli Jews believe human rights groups harm Israel, while half consider those identifying with the left as a fifth column.
Perhaps none of this should surprise when Mr Netanyahu rushed to incite against the United Nations last week after the Security Council upheld international law, passing a resolution against Israel’s settlements. He described the resolution as “contemptible” and “anti-Israel”, and claimed President Obama had stabbed Israel in the back.
In similar vein on Monday, Mr Netanyahu’s defence minister accused France of anti-semitism and putting Israel on trial after it announced a summit next month to revive peace talks.
Mr Netanyahu is drawing his noose wide, not only for recalcitrant Israelis but for all those who stand in the way of his Greater Israel.
Jonathan Cook is an independent journalist in Nazareth
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
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Racecard:
2.30pm: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoun Emirates Breeders Society Challenge; Conditions (PA); Dh40,000; 1,600m
3pm: Handicap; Dh80,000; 1,800m
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Mile Prep Rated Conditions; Dh110,000; 1,600m
4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m
Company%20Profile
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Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Honeymoonish
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The%20Specs
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Company%20Profile
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Company%20Profile
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Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
More from UAE Human Development Report:
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
THE SCORES
Ireland 125 all out
(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)
UAE 125 for 5
(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)
UAE won by five wickets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
A%20Little%20to%20the%20Left
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now