Although there are only two months left until the Sept. 17 election, the campaigns haven’t really started, except for one. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised on that fateful day, when, for the first time in his life, he couldn’t form a government after the May 30 election, the Likud recently started an aggressive Russian-language campaign against the chairman of Yisrael Beitenu, Avigdor Liberman, and his party. Even before that, Netanyahu appointed a special adviser on Israelis from the former Soviet republics to attract Yisrael Beitenu voters and prevent Liberman from being the deciding factor once again. The campaign is happening mostly on social media platforms, Netanyahu’s Facebook page and the Likud’s Russian Facebook page. 

The opening shot was heard June 30, when a 28-second video was posted on Netanyahu’s Facebook page, called “How Avigdor Liberman actually votes.” 

“For 20 years Liberman and his party have promised its voters civil marriage," the narrator says. "They continue to promise it today.” Then there’s a short clip from an interview with Liberman in Russian on Channel 9: “We will demand civil marriage.” The Facebook video continues: “How has Yisrael Beitenu actually voted?” The answer: no. "Enough empty promises!" it says. 

In another short video, in the same format, from July 2, the Likud attacks Liberman’s promises regarding public transportation on the Sabbath — a painful issue for many new immigrants, young and old.  “Liberman promises you public transportation on the Sabbath?" says the narrator. "Let’s see how his party voted on such initiatives." Again, the answer is that the party voted against the initiatives.