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BBC Monitoring Quotes From Israel's Hebrew Press 8 Mar 06

Posted on: Wednesday, 8 March 2006, 09:00 CST

The following is a selection of quotes from editorials published in 8 Mar editions of Hebrew-language Israeli newspapers available to BBCM.

Party political broadcasts

Commentary by Yossi Verter: Yesterday, Likud returned in a big way to its familiar element: S-C-A-R-I-N-G! From 1996 to 2003, Yasir Arafat carried on his back Likud's broadcasts. Since the deceased is no longer with us, Hamas was recruited for the mission. The flames, the smoke, the processions, the drums - this was Likud at its best. Kadima presented the leader and the team. Labour, in direct, serious broadcasts that felt no shame in presenting the social agenda, presented the team and the leader. And Likud, only the leader: the list for the Knesset disappeared barring a flicker of Silvan Shalom, number 2, in the role of Likud's moderate face. The schmaltz celebrated yesterday. A piano and another piano, melancholic tunes accompanying expected pictures. The schmaltziest broadcasts were of Kadima: using Sharon was legitimate but exaggerated... Also chutzpah celebrated mainly by Likud that felt no shame in showing Sharon again and again in its broadcasts and presenting with a wink his way as that of Likud. (Ha'aretz [left-of-centre, independent])

Commentary by Yaron Ten-Brink: And so we got the action: Kadima and Likud charged at each other with blood in their eyes and filled the evening with slanders, fear and hair-raising false charges. All means of combat were used on the first evening, complete with Hamas, terrorism, fear, panic, Jerusalem, Sharon, Yoni Netanyahu and raging flames. Bibi Netanyahu rescued the economy, Ehud Olmert continued the way of Ben Gurion, Begin, Rabin and Sharon and still jogs. Many good jokes! In Labour it seems that the principle "Two quarrel, the third wins" will do the trick for them, and, in the shadow of the Bibi-Olmert battles, the team of [Labour chairman Amir] Peretz is balanced and stately (that's to say "boring and anemic" in TV terms)... The one who won was Shas with an effective convincing clip that could have been a trailer of a "Fact" investigation, with Eli Yishai and not Elana Dayan... Entertainment? So! You've already paid for the show, now enjoy it. (Yediot Aharonot [centrist, largest circulation])

Commentary by Ben Kaspit: Meanwhile, Labour stands out in the sea of mud that smeared the screens yesterday with a stately, balanced and calm campaign. Kadima, which should have come up with such a campaign, preferred to stress its most prominent electoral asset: [Likud chairman] Binyamin Netanyahu, who in turn assaulted Ehud Olmert with holy anger because he has no other choice. In the first [election] broadcasts, the parties are supposed to come up with the "best". If this is it, then we (and they) are in trouble. Where are the once catchy jingles that penetrated our bones and lingered on for many weeks? Where are the punch-lines that became the talk of the campaign? It is not clear... The people of Israel camp in the middle of the political map and established a party for themselves [Kadima]. For it not to become the central force in the next Knesset very significant things have to happen. Even more than the election broadcasts. (Ma'ariv [centre-right])

Jerusalem Post [English-language]: The importance the parties ascribe to this most combative phase of the campaign is evident from the vast sums earmarked for TV spots in particular. In some respects, this is only to be expected. Gone are the days of speechifying in town squares or even of mass rallies in sports stadiums. The showdown arena is the electronic village on screen. But is it really effective? Electioneering fare used to be hot stuff several decades ago, when we had a single television channel to which everyone was tuned and the wit of scriptwriters was the talk of the town the next day. No more so. It's now questionable to what extent the televised fisticuffs are even watched\ The appeal is generally to the lowest common denominator. We deserve better, much better\ In the current geopolitical straits - with Iran aspiring to nukes and Hamas ascendant - Israel cannot afford to gamble. If ever issues were crucial in a campaign, they are now...

Yediot Aharonot: Already, before the first yawn yesterday opposite the TV screens during the election campaign broadcast, it is important to say: It's nonsense to claim that the propaganda broadcasts have no influence on the decision of the voter. They surely have. A respectable part of the electorate is fed almost solely on what is said and presented on TV, and cunning, tricks and gimmicks certainly "work" on it certainly in the first few days of broadcasts. Professionals from previous elections testify to this. Therefore, it is forbidden to underestimate, ridicule and laugh. It works.

Sources: as listed

Source: BBC Monitoring Newsfile

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