Democrats should come to Netanyahu's speech carrying signs from Ha'aretz

"The Intolerable Irresponsibility of Israeli Ministers Refusing to Quit This [Netanyahu's] Bloody Government" - Ehud Olmert, ex-Prime Minister of Israel, this week in Ha'aretz.

I'm trying something a little different - writing some shorter posts around one idea. Here's one. Hope you find it interesting.

Benjamin Netanyahu is coming to give a speech at the US Congress. What should Democrats do in response? In short, they should put Israeli criticism of him — of Netanyahu and his government — on signs and hold them up at the speech.

They should do this, first, because he is incredibly unpopular in Israel. Second, more Americans need to learn about the Israeli right and how Netanyahu has prolonged the war to protect himself. Third, they should hold up signs quoting Israeli critics like Olmert because it’s a form of strategic trolling — a key part of modern media communication that will get attention and get their message out. It will fight Republican messaging, putting Republicans on their back foot and diverting them from their own use of Netanyahu and the Israeli right to divide and attack Democrats. And finally, Bibi Netanyahu himself will hate it. He knows that internal Israeli disapproval is his weakness, and that most Israelis want him out. He and his allies have been critical of Ha'aretz for this reason. 

That disapproval is the reason Netanyahu wants to give a speech in the US now. His move is to come to the US, and try to intervene in American politics. As Alon Pinkas just said in Haaretz, "A message to the stalwart Democratic [Party] ally of Israel: do not invite Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress. His sole purpose is to damage U.S. President Joe Biden's reelection bid while doing Trump's bidding." Netanyahu is trying to split the Democratic Party so that the US does not interfere with his 'bloody government' in Israel. That's why Democrats should hold posters with headlines from Israel, and flip his script. 

Democrats bringing Ha’aretz quotes to Netanyahu’s speech will defuse the major talking points Republicans will try to use against them, the lines that have been working for them.. One is that any critic of Netanyahu is antisemitic. This is why Olmert's criticism, coming from an ex-Prime Minister in Netanyahu's party, is so powerful. Republicans will also try to say that Democrats "shouldn’t intervene in Israel politics". Let them try to say that about a response to Netanyahu literally giving a speech in the US Congress, intervening in our politics.

You might ask “won’t this help Netanyahu at home”? That's always hard to predict but the opposite is more likely. Netanyahu depends on US support. He sold himself to Israelis in part as the person that can deliver American support for Israel. This will be an explicit demonstration that American support is fracturing, due to Netanyahu himself. And quoting former prime minister Ehud Olmert is straightforward. Olmert has already made it extremely clear what he believes. There’s little downside in amplifying his message.

Put Olmert's words in Ha'aretz on a poster. Get 15 Democrats to bring it to Netanyahu's speech. Wave the posters. Then hold a rebuttal press conference after the speech. If done right, this will dominate media coverage and generate favorable coverage for Democrats and negative coverage for Israel's far right.

Netanyahu's weakness is criticism from the Israeli media. He's has been avoiding interviews in Israel since Oct 7 for this reason. Democrats should confront him with his weakness. It will be good for Democrats domestically and it will help end the war. 

What to put on signs?

• "The Intolerable Irresponsibility of Israeli Ministers Refusing to Quit This Bloody Government" Ehud Olmert, May 24 2024. [archive link; please subscribe to the paper if you use this link]
  The piece contains lines like "Gantz and Eisenkot, you are responsible. Either you leave this bloody government today, or you will be blamed for the destruction it causes."
• "Netanyahu Knew. Netanyahu Ignored. Netanyahu is Responsible." Haaretz editorial, Nov 22 2023
• "Netanyahu’s Recklessness Has Brought War Upon Israel" Yossi Verter, Haaretz, Oct 8, 2023
• "continuing an untenable military mission while hostages are still being held would be ‘absolutely unforgivable’", Ehud Olmert, quoted in the Independent, Feb 9, 2024