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Inside Israel

Netanyahu witch hunt underway


By Stan Goodenough
March 24, 2008

Likud Party leader, former Prime Minister and top candidate for future Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is once again the target of a witch hunt aimed at sabotaging his chances of being elected to the premiership in the future.

So say associates of the man popularly (and unpopularly) known as "Bibi" in a report carried in The Jerusalem Post Monday.

The primary thrust of the article, written by a reporter who is himself habitually critical of Netanyahu, is that voices in the Likud are expressing "concerns" over how a series of alleged scandals involving Netanyahu could damage the party.

"Bibi is becoming a real problem," a Knesset member who remained unnamed, but whom the reporter described as considering himself "a Netanyahu ally," is quoted as saying.

"It is becoming unbearable. I like Bibi very much, but he keeps on bringing trouble on his head and ours."

"Another [anonymous-Ed] Likud MK predicted in private conversations that the party would see the consequences of the scandals in falling poll numbers," said the Post.

This kind of "reporting" has been used successfully in the past to add layers to an ongoing smear campaign against Netanyahu.

A couple such "scandals" have been media-generated and hyped in recent days, bringing back memories of the almost incessant efforts to taint Netanyahu during his 1996 to 1999 tenure in the Prime Minister's Office.

Like US President George W. Bush, Netanyahu has been the target of unrestrained animosity by Israelis who oppose his policies.

So intense has the animus been at times that it has led to speculation about dirty tricks are being played to ensure Netanyahu cannot attain to the premiership again.

Some observers have noted dryly that "God must love Bibi a great deal if the devil hates him so much."

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