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The Scroll

Netanyahu Caught in Facebook Scandal

Prime Minister called “manipulative” for claiming people like him

By Dan Klein|April 10, 2012 4:30 PM|Comments:
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Israeli politicians might want to fire their staff, because they’re clearly spending to much time on Facebook. After a Likud spokeswoman bragged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had hit 200,000 “likes” on Facebook, the office of Labor leader Shelly Yachimovich sprang into action, releasing a report showing that most of the Prime Minister’s erstwhile friends were Americans, only 17 percent were Israeli and, weirdly, 3 percent are Indonesian. “Netanyahu is a politician that can be defeated. He was not anointed as king – not even by Mark Zuckerberg,” quipped the Yachimovich staffer who blogged the report.

First thought: Were they saving this report for the next time Bibi bragged about his Facebook friends or did they put it together really fast?

Second thought: Bragging about Facebook friends is really lame.

Third thought: A new study shows a link between narcissism and a person’s showing of Facebook friends. Another study linked brain size and the same. More friends means bigger brains and more narcissism—a description that in no way, shape, or form resembles the Prime Minister of Israel.

Facebook Wars: Yacimovich Calls PM’s Bluff [JPost]
Study: People With Lots of Facebook Friends More Likely to Be Narcissists [CNN]
Big Brained People Have More Facebook Friends [Gizmodo]
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Royq says:
April 10, 2012
4:45 PM

I admit it, Dan.  I hit the ‘like’ button six-thousand times.  The man moves me.

brian2907 says:
April 11, 2012
12:05 PM

Mea culpa, I live in Israel and I ‘liked’ him. Whether you agree or disagree with Netanyahu, the rest of the Israeli political elite are so ineffectual and colourless that he stands head and shoulders above all of them.

Deborah Waterman says:
April 11, 2012
1:39 PM

I’M RECKONING THAT IF WE HIT THE ‘LIKE’ BUTTON, ITS BECAUSE WE DO LIKE HIM AND CARE ABOUT WHAT HE HAS TO SAY AND FEELS LIKE HE NEEDS OUR ENCOURAGEMENT.  IF I could HIT THE BUTTON 6000 TIMES, I would!

dennyboo says:
April 12, 2012
6:55 AM

Dear Miss Wasserman that is a reply that needs to be tested.

dennyboo says:
April 12, 2012
6:56 AM

“The man moves me.”
Have you ever been checked for a bowel disorder?

dennyboo says:
April 12, 2012
6:59 AM

Agreeing with Bibi is tricky because on any given day Bibi tends to deny what he said on some other given day.Ask Sarkozy or almost anyone else who thinks that Bibi has given his final word on anything.

Jo Zuber says:
April 12, 2012
7:02 AM

I agree, if you are Netanyahu, you would have more than the average popular person.  I’d hit the button 6,000 times and more.  Labor leader Shelly Yachimovich needs an education so that when she expresses herself, readers don’t stumble over her rethoric.  I love Netanyahu for his fluid speeches.  He makes OB look like a learner instead of an educator.

גבריאל says:
April 14, 2012
3:28 AM

All she’s proving is that the Diaspora thinks poorly of her and her agenda. Israelis are so apathetic they could care less about who leads them. They just want relief not a song and a dance with Shelly. Mr. Klien you remind me of Mofaz. If Mofaz is considered a major challenger to Netanyahu then Israel’s standards have hit a new low. It can only be that apathy has turned Israelis moot. Looks more like Israel is ignoring Mofaz altogether rather than chanting slogans in the streets and mustering for political speeches. He’s a do nothing candidate looking for a cause like you.

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Netanyahu Caught in Facebook Scandal

Prime Minister called “manipulative” for claiming people like him

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