Barak Seri
@BarakSeri · Israeli journalists — political, diplomatic, legal
Barak Seri is an Israeli media adviser, political commentator, and broadcaster.
A little piece of advice for Talik Gvili: True, you were given a reserved spot on the Likud list. Perhaps they also expect you, in return, to attack your political opponents forcefully, perhaps even to incite here and there. But that doesn't suit you, Talik. You are above this dirt. This is beneath you. There are enough people in Likud who will do it in your place. To say things like “If the other camp wins, the memory of the heroes of the kingdom will disappear. Everything we achieved will collapse” is to cast aspersions on people who fought for years so that your heroic son would return and be buried in a Jewish grave. People who demonstrated in the summer, in the winter, at intersections, in squares, so that your heroic son would return. Who exactly will erase the “memory of the heroes of the kingdom”? Eisenkot, the former chief of staff? Bennett, the former prime minister? Liberman, the former defense minister? Yair Golan, the former deputy chief of staff? After all, President Trump said that if it had been up to Netanyahu, the war in Gaza would have continued and the hostages, living and dead, would not have returned. There are plenty of things you can talk about in the campaign, but not like this. This is not your league.
Translated from HebrewRabbi Yitzhak Yosef on July 11 this year: “There is no chance Netanyahu will repent, Eisenkot maybe will.” Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef today: “God forbid Eisenkot should become prime minister. He is the one who secularized the army; he cannot be trusted.” Confused? So are we
Translated from HebrewNetanyahu, for whom the word “truth” means its opposite as well, came to the Likud campaign meeting today and said: “The polls are fake. In the surveys we conducted, the numbers are different.” Never mind that he’s bullshitting, as usual. But if the numbers are different, why did you demand ten reserved slots and claim that “we won’t win with this list”? Why did you say that “I’ve lost ten seats and I don’t know how to get them back.” Members of the Likud list: In the polls published yesterday and in the polls Netanyahu sees, Likud is ranging between 19 and 21 seats. That’s the ceiling. That’s the situation. You could end up in the opposition, so there won’t be any Norwegian lawmakers either. Don’t let him confuse you.
Translated from HebrewThose in Likud's third ten are worried.
Translated from HebrewNetanyahu was indifferent, dismissed all the warnings
Translated from HebrewNetanyahu, who, how shall we put it gently, is not exactly guided by the truth and whose promises are not written even on ice, is now promising all sorts of people on and off the list that they will be ministers in the next government. Businessman Oren Dobronsky, who did not want to give up his American citizenship but gave up the reserved Likud slot, announced that Netanyahu had promised him he would be appointed minister for artificial-intelligence affairs. It is said that he promised Yaakov Bardugo he would be a minister, and the latest joke is Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, founder of HaBitachonistim, who was given a reserved slot in an unrealistic position, gave it up, and Netanyahu announced yesterday at the Likud Secretariat meeting ״that if Likud forms the government, Avivi will serve as a minister״. The friends around him held back from bursting out laughing
Translated from HebrewThe investigations published recently into what preceded the October 7 massacre once again show, in full force, how much Netanyahu dismissed all the warnings, was indifferent to all the alerts, and ignored all the red flags. The man who called himself “Mr. Security,” about whom then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said this evening that he had been in shock for days. And precisely the reviled Yair Lapid, whom Netanyahu’s mouthpieces so love to mock for his military service, scorn his understanding of security matters, and marvel at how anyone could even dare compare him to Netanyahu, was precisely one of the few who warned the Israeli public of a war. Lapid convened a special press conference on September 20, 2023, two weeks before October 7, and warned: “Israel is approaching a multi-front confrontation. A disaster is approaching; Israel’s children will have to enter Gaza again, Jenin, perhaps Lebanon too.” And what did Netanyahu, “Mr. Security,” do? He giggled in the Patriots studio, flew off on vacations abroad, went on another vacation in the Golan Heights, put on rose-colored glasses, and urged everyone to go out for a stroll
Translated from HebrewYoav Gallant, the defense minister on October 7, in an interview now on Channel 12 News: “I arrived at the Kirya on October 7 at 8 a.m., and Netanyahu arrived only at 10 a.m. He conveyed a worrying defeatist attitude. I heard that he said that we spoke on the phone during those hours. I do not remember such a conversation. Look at pictures of him and me on the day of the massacre, and also in the days afterward; look at who appears to be in shock—and I was not wearing makeup.” Regarding the phone call between the president of the United Arab Emirates and Netanyahu, in which it was claimed that Netanyahu was warned about a Hamas attack, Gallant said: “I don’t know whether such a call took place or not. I only know that if a prime minister wants to conceal such a call, he certainly can.”
Translated from HebrewThe threats from all sorts of mouthpieces not to vote for Likud because of Minister Haim Katz are hilarious. Even if Netanyahu moves Haim Katz up to second place, even if he announces that he will get two more portfolios in the next term in addition to the four portfolios he has today, you will vote for Netanyahu. Because Netanyahu is mainly a livelihood
Translated from HebrewMuch has been said about Gideon Sa'ar's disgraceful defection, after he attacked Netanyahu and Likud in harsh terms, declared that he would not return to Likud, lied to his voters, deceived the public with false promises, and then crawled back to Likud with his three friends from New Hope. He was deathly afraid to run in the Likud primaries, took the reserved slot for himself, and sent Ze'ev Elkin to run in the primaries and be thrown into the unrealistic 32nd place. He promised another friend of his, Michel Buskila, a reserved slot; Buskila believed him and did not run in the primaries, only to wake up one morning and discover that he had been thrown off the list altogether. Conclusion: It doesn't pay to be Gideon Sa'ar's friend
Translated from HebrewThat's it, the lists have been submitted, but don't be fooled by the smiles. Netanyahu has failed to organize the bloc, a failure that could cost him in the election. Ofer Winter is above and below the electoral threshold, depending on the pollster; the Smotrich-Feiglin party also isn't safely passing, the Noam party is going to waste at least one seat, among the Haredim there are world wars, and independent Haredi parties running will blindly waste votes. And there's no great joy in Likud either. There are no big names, there are lots of disgruntled people, the kind who are supposed to whip up the ground and get voters to the polls. Likud is averaging 20–21 seats in the polls, far from frenzy, fire, and enthusiasm.
Translated from HebrewThe most impressive reserved slot so far is that of retired Major General Yossi Bachar in Smotrich’s party, Religious Zionism. A respected major general, he fought in Be’eri, his mother Geula was murdered in the massacre, and during the war he served as deputy commander of Southern Command. If he is placed in a realistic slot, this could also be a blow to Ofer Winter
Translated from HebrewBrigadier General (res.) Amir Avivi, the Likud’s new security hawk, announces two weeks before the October 7 massacre: “Hamas does not want a confrontation”
Translated from HebrewThe terrible days of Shlomo Karhi: dumped in 23rd place on the Likud list, the polls give Likud 20, 21 seats, the High Court overturns the appointment of Yifat Ben Hai-Shegev to the Second Authority, and to top it off: his sworn enemy Yaakov Bardugo in 11th place, far ahead of him
Translated from HebrewEli Goldschmidt, the new reserved candidate of Likud, has a message for David Amsalem and Netanyahu
Translated from HebrewDon’t believe him. More than ten seats from the liberal right—Likudniks who despise the members of his government—escaped him. That’s why he’s bullshitting to bring them back.
Translated from HebrewListen to the Likud's new handpicked candidate, Eli Goldschmidt. I don't remember them talking about Netanyahu like this.
Translated from HebrewIt was worthwhile for Eli Goldschmidt, once chairman of the Labor faction, to suck up to and flatter Netanyahu nonstop on Channel 14 panels. Likud became a branch of 14
Translated from HebrewMaariv poll, Dr. Menachem Lazar, with a dramatic poll: Ofer Winter's party does not pass, Yoaz Hendel and Zelekha's party gets four seats. The opposition bloc of parties, without the Arab factions, has 61 seats
Translated from HebrewAnother failure and another failure. Likud voters: This is the future of your children
Translated from HebrewShlomi Eldar, who co-signed this morning’s Haaretz investigation with Ruti Yuval, is now on “Morning News” on Channel 12: “A week and a half before the October 7 massacre, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed spoke with Netanyahu and warned him that Yahya Sinwar was planning something big in Gaza. Netanyahu reassured him and said: We are completely prepared in Gaza; it could be something in Judea and Samaria. The conversation lasted 45 minutes. Netanyahu did not update the IDF chief of staff, the Shin Bet chief, or the Mossad chief. The Shin Bet says that if they had known about this conversation, they would have acted differently. After the massacre, the president of the UAE expressed great disappointment to senior American officials that Netanyahu had done nothing after he warned him.” Shlomi Eldar added: “We have documentation; we are fully backed up on this story. We would not have published it without recordings, documentation, and corroboration”
Translated from HebrewFriends, whoever can — there is currently a program in Modi'in and not enough people came. Whoever is in the area and can come to cheer things up, blessings upon them!
Translated from HebrewIn about 24 hours, Netanyahu will have an opportunity to prove that serious figures, strong names, people with a track record of achievement at the highest levels, are responding to his offers of reserved slots. If he fails to bring any such name onto the Likud list, if so many good people do not want to be placed in high positions on the Likud list, how will it be possible to persuade voters to vote Likud?
Translated from HebrewWhere is Minister David Amsalem? Why don't we hear him in the campaign?
Translated from HebrewKan 11 poll, Dudi Hassid: The headline of this poll is: 52 seats for the Netanyahu bloc, 51 seats for the Eisenkot bloc, and 13 seats for the Arab parties. The new party of Hendel and Zelekha, which was just launched this evening, is amazing and is passing the electoral threshold. So is Ofer Winter's party
Translated from Hebrew
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