Netanyahu: The Man Who Makes Louis XVI Look Thrifty

Mel Brooks has that famous line in his movie History Of The World Pt 1 where he plays King Louis XVI and says, “Its good to be King.” Israel Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has made this his motto and actually makes King Louis XVI look thrifty. He is going down in the history books as a man who thinks the State Treasury is his personal bank account.

Now the J14 social justice revolt that has been transforming the Israeli political scene for the last 1 1/2 years poured into the streets yesterday with fresh ammunition provided by Bibi and the Israeli government. Let me explain for most of the world who gets zero reporting on the inner-workings of Israel.

Before the election at the beginning of the year, it came out that Bibi was spending 10,000 dollars a month on ice cream. All I can say is that is some fantastic ice cream. Then it was revealed yesterday that he spent 127,000 dollars to install a bed on the plane they took to England which is a 5 hour flight.

Ok, first I’m jealous that he can get from point A to point B in 5 hours without 2 layovers and a 2 hour wait time in security. Having said that, seriously? 127k for a bed??? I am not sure even King Louis XVI would’ve gone for that. The Israeli President Shimon Peres – who by the way if you don’t follow on FB you should because he has the best posts of any politico, you’ll get updates ranging from what it is like in the Vatican to video of him making a snowman out in the yard – Peres is about to turn 90, jets around the globe and has never asked for a bed. Neither has any other Israeli PM. So seriously, Bibi, maybe you should just give the job up if it tires you out that much.

These are just the highlights of what are a long list of wild expenses or sticking the State with the bill for things no normal person thinks about. He has also presided over the giving away of Israel’s Natural Gas reserves (which are quite extensive) to tycoon friends for a small fraction of what they are worth and in doing so has tossed away Israel’s chance to be energy independent. These secret dealings were revealed just this past week. The man clearly has no scruples. His lack of scruples is shown by his reaction to the J14 protests. He normally has a couple of demonstrators roughed up. Last year he tried going after the leaders breaking the arm of one but there was such a public backlash he had to back down. It is also no coincidence that the day after yesterday’s demonstration he targeted African businesses in Tel Aviv and had them raided. A lot of these people are seeking asylum and so aren’t suppose to work. He targets only the Africans, no one else (but hey, he isn’t racist he says),  and if you have ever been in these shops what you will find is they are nickel and dime operations that are lucky to keep the food on the table and the rent paid. A while back he tried to take away their bicycles – their main transport – and they had to bring papers to the police station to prove they were the owners. If some other country had done that to Jews we’d be hearing charges of anti-Semitism for a decade.

Meanwhile, average Israelis can’t keep up with the cost of living. There is a reason J14 is out on the street again with large support and will be all summer and it is Bibi and the henchmen in the government. I will include Yair Lapid in that category. He could’ve done something as the new star with the largest party but his ego has already shined through and it makes Napoleon look like a slacker. Yair Lapid has said he wants to be PM in a year and everything he does centers on that goal.

Nope the only way Israel can rid itself of the quagmire it is in now is toss out the old and find something new. That will only happen if J14 keeps the pressure up.