A bit of explanation of the punning involved in this cartoon caption. The Hebrew title, Czar Ha-Houtz, means “foreign czar.” But it is a play on the Hebrew word sar (“minister”). Sar ha-houtz would be “foreign minister,” Yvet’s role in the new government.
But of course the cartoon pokes fun both at Lieberman’s Russian background, right-wing dynastic ambitions, enormous ego and self-regard, and his authoritarian impulses.
H/t to Sol Salbe.
If it makes you feel any better, the general feeling in what you would consider the “Far Right” is that Lieberman is already planning to make his move as the next Sharon, i.e. he will suddenly discover the justice of the Left’s positions and he will deliver 14 of his party’s 15 votes to support major concessions to the Palestinians (I say 14 because the 15’th, Uzi Landau, left the Likud because of what Sharon did to Gush Katif and I presume he would object to any parallel move by Lieberman). Sharon had similar charateristics such as corrupt personality, flip-flopping on major issues, dynastic pretensions (recall his son Omri was in the Knesset when Papa was PM), autocratic nature, etc. Thus, you may well be pleasantly surprised by Lieberman.
Lieberman will never “pleasantly surprise” me. Given the extremism of his views, I wonder which Israeli politician you WOULD trust? Meir Kahane? Dov Wolpe? Or was Kahane too soft?
Regarding the claim made at a meeting held at the Yitzhak Rabin Military Academy that soldiers were aware of cases were soldiers deliberately fired at innocent civilians when no threat to the soldiers was apparent, IDF investigators found there was no real evidence that these supposed incidents ever occurred.
Link:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1238409229712&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
It’s amazing what evidence you “can’t find” when you really put your mind to not finding it. Do you really think the IDF has any credibility in investigating itself, not to mention that J.Post is one of the IDF’s biggest boosters (aside from Maariv & other rightist publications). If you compare the investigative work Haaretz has done on IDF actions in Gaza to what J.Post has done, it’s simply pathetic. J.Post is excellent at churning out IDF press releases in the guise of objective journalism.
“dynastic”? Has veHalila. I don’t think he’s starting any dynasties anytime soon.
I hope you’re right. But it won’t be from lack of trying. He believes he is fated to become prime minister & lead his country God knows where. The thought is frightening.
Zev Jabotinsky (Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky), Golda Meir (Golda Mabovitch), and Menahem Ussishkin (among others) were all Russians who are key Zionist figures. Calling him “Yevgeny” doesn’t change that. In fact, being called “Richard” would be very awkward in Israel. Most people who come here have Hebrew names. Anatoly Borisovich Shcharansky included (Natan Sharansky)!