Peace Missing in Israeli Campaign Ads
Mazal Mualem reports on the first night of campaign election ads and observes slogans, a sharp right turn and the absence of "peace."
1996 Elections, Campaign Commercials for the 14th Knesset. Several months after [former Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin’s assassination, Israel is still stunned, but it seems that cosmic optimism radiates from the screens: furrowed fields, white doves, children’s laughter, Rabin- Clinton-Hussein on the White House lawns — and for dessert, prime-minister candidate Shimon Peres (today’s president) kisses small children. In the background, the “Israel Chooses Peace” jingle plays.
Even the Likud under Benjamin Netanyahu (on his way to his first term of office), who went for the intimidating broadcast “Peres will divide Jerusalem” featuring a picture of [late PA President Yasser] Arafat and the sound of glass breaking, took care to insert the word “peace.” It is hard to believe but the Likud slogan then was, “Netanyahu — making a secure peace.” Then, peace was the winning card. Everyone used it.
