Israeli justice minister Ayelet Shaked slammed for ‘Fascism perfume’ ad as social media war heats up ahead of election
- In black and white video, Shaked spritzes herself with scent while whispering her key policies in Hebrew
- Move appears to make light of criticism of her attempts to restructure Israeli judiciary
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A new ad with an elegantly dressed minister using “fascist” perfume drew online outrage on Tuesday, the latest in a social media war ahead of an Israeli election that has also featured a flatulent hippo.
Israeli law prevents political ads from being broadcast on television until two weeks before the April 9 election, so parties have flooded social media with clips instead.
The elections are expected to be close and social media is playing a part in the campaign as never before.
In the far-right justice minister’s video, she poses in a mock advertisement for a perfume called “Fascism”.
The move appears to make light of criticism – including accusations of fascism – of Ayelet Shaked’s attempts to restructure the Israeli judiciary, which is seen as a barrier to her hard-right agenda.
In the black and white video, Shaked saunters around in slow motion, her hair blowing as soft piano music plays in the background. Spritzing herself with a perfume labelled “Fascism”, she whispers her key policies in Hebrew: “Judicial reform … Restraining the Supreme Court.”
To me, it smells like democracy
Then, speaking to camera, she seems to suggest the bottle has been mislabelled: “To me, it smells like democracy.”
Online reaction to the spoof has been mixed, with some non-Hebrew speakers taking the video literally. Others suggested the joke was too close to the truth, pointing to Shaked’s promotion of ultranationalist and authoritarian policies.
“For anyone who doesn’t know that the left often accuses Shaked of fascism, this ad will sound like she’s endorsing fascism and calling it democracy,” Eylon Levy of Israel’s i24 news channel posted on Twitter.
Opinion polls show Shaked’s far-right New Right party not performing as well in the elections as had earlier been projected, and the aim seemed to be to recapture the public’s attention.
It appears to have succeeded, but may have backfired.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud have created an online television channel that has been churning out videos denouncing his main opponent, former military chief Benny Gantz. Gantz’s Blue and White alliance has responded in kind.
Smaller parties have sought to differentiate themselves.
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon’s centre-right Kulanu, which is struggling in opinion polls, last week released a video that looks like a trailer for a film.
It featured a fish climbing a tree and a flatulent hippopotamus, with the message being that only Kahlon, the “sane right”, cares about social issues.
The animals were meant to symbolise all the distractions from real issues Israeli voters are facing in the campaign.
