"Bibi didn't know about Hamas' preparations, the dangers of the Meron Lag Ba'omer celebration or the Carmel forest fire disaster waiting to happen."
All he DOES know is that elections would mean that Israel loses the war. Israeli comedian Lior Schleien ridicules Bibi, but says through humor what many Israelis are saying without a smile.
Lior Schleien is an Israeli household name, not nearly as well known outside Israel or in the English-speaking community. As the war grinds on and demands for elections—not only from Chuck Schumer but from hundreds of thousands of Israelis, as well—grow more vocal, Schleien recently went to town on Netanyahu. His comedy routine matters not only for its humor, but because it is a window into what many Israelis, including Likud supporters, have long been feeling and are now saying.
Schleien got his start on Yair Lapid’s talk show and is now an Israeli TV producer and comedian. He also worked on the writing staff of Eretz Nehederet, Israel’s rough approximation of SNL, a show which we have featured here on numerous occasions.
Schleien was the host of the popular satire show, Gav Hauma (“The Back of the Nation”) on Channel 13 until the show was cancelled in 2020. The show was known for making hard hitting comments about everything from the government and the prime minister to religion and the position of Ashkenazim in Israel, where Schleien would consistently make himself the object of ridicule.
Schleien’s and Merav Michaeli, who recently announced her resignation as the leader of the Labor party, have two children via surrogacy, Uri and Alon. The surrogacy issue is a hotly contended legal issue in Israel, so the couple has been in the news not only for their professional work, but for personal decisions, as well.
Lior Schleien has now been streaming shows on Relevant, a new Israeli channel and streaming service. Lior is one of its founders and owners.
For those who may be interested, here are some links to a few of Schleien’s monologues that have been translated into English: on Naftali Bennett, and on religion.
FRIDAY (03/22): Breaches of protocol in the IDF are becoming more frequent—it’s a sign of the rage and worry wafting through Israel. Last week, we wrote about Brigadeir-General Dan Goldfus who took on Netanyahu, and in normal times, would have been fired—but of course wasn’t. Today, we’ll see a military ceremony that was attended by the father of one of the women soldiers at a base that was overrun on October 7. She was killed, perhaps burned to death. We’ll see the incident, and reflect on what is unfolding in Israel writ large.
Some of Schleien’s references will make sense only to Israelis who are steeped in Israeli culture, news and humor. A few that you might not otherwise get …
He makes a crude reference to two female members of Knesset, Miri Regev and Tally Gotliv. His point is that Gotliv, who is a newer MK, embodies many of Regev’s distasteful leadership qualities to which Schleien has been pointing for years.
The ‘James Richardson’ reference: James Richardson is the company that manages Duty Free in Israel. This comment is likely alluding to the Netanyahu’s receiving champagne and cigars from James Packer and Arnon Milchan as part of a quid pro quo, as well as their over the top, ridiculous lavish lifestyles.
There is also a reference to MK Dudi Amsalem taking shots, because the very same Tali Gotliv (Israel’s answer to Marjorie Taylor Greene) recently accused Amsalem, himself a “colorful” personality (to be kind), of having alcohol on his breath at the Knesset.
Whatever you think of the humor, Schleien is a window into what many Israelis are speaking about. No one here is taking kindly to Chuck Schumer’s telling us when we should have elections, but as for Bibi being the source of much of Israel’s trouble, that is no longer a very controversial assertion.
Enjoy!
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Scraping the bottom of the barrel.Daniel seems to want to keep talking,no matter with whom.More divisive crap.In a supposedly open mind he reveals an insecure need for approval from all sides showing no backbone whatsoever on Israel’s existential battle.Every idea that can widen his readership will do.spineless
Oh, is he supposed to be funny?
And this is the man who, at a much later stage in life, had a surrogate child with Michaeli. Fine. But she flew to America during lockdowns when the entire country could go no more than 500 meters from their homes. I guess some people are more equal than others - to borrow a line from Orwell.
And what sort of parental role models are they? They had a child through surrogacy and had plenty of photos taken for their self-aggrandizing publicity and they don't even live together.
Right. Because they fancy themselves as celebrities of sorts, rules for the common folk, the peasants and peons - the same rules that all of us other riff-raff are expected to follow - are beneath them.
Yep. Real role models.