The Jewish Borat

Ido Aharoni, chief of Brand Israel, a PR project that aims to clean Israel’s public image abroad, has accused the Arabs of damaging Israel the same way Sacha Baron Cohen did with Kazakhstan.

"The Arabs, our adversaries, have succeeded in doing to us what 'Borat' did for Kazakhstan", Ido Aharoni told the Knesset Defense and Security Committee on Tuesday, referring to the 2006 Sacha Baron Cohen film in which Cohen portrayed a Kazakh filmmaker touring the United States.

Letting aside the fact of Borat being in fact good for Kazakhstan -at least he made the world know about the country-, it seems a bit weird to see an Israeli accusing the Palestinians for Israel’s reputation internationally.

Why should that happen? What could be thrown into Israel’s face for that?

Is it because of the war crimes and disproportionate response in Gaza? Or because of the settlements? Is it the humanitarian siege to the Palestinians? Because of the block of access to water sources? Is it because Israel is the only country in the region with nukes? Because they spend the biggest amount per habitant in the Defense budget in the entire world? Or is it for attempting to create first and second class citizens inside its borders on a religious criteria?

In fact, all that has benefit the Palestinians. The more radical the Israeli president is, the better for them. They should be grateful.




PS. I always have defended a separation while judging a country between governments and common people. First ones are almost always pricks. Second ones, on the other hand, maybe are the opposite of their politicians, but don’t get enough time or exposure to show it.

PS2. And anyway, Israel deserves a special sympathy because of their women.