The whole crowd with black bracelets: Netanyahu's "spontaneous" visit to the Malha Mall
The Prime Minister published a video of a visit he made to a mall in Jerusalem, where he received sympathy and support from all sides. However, his supporters who called out to him "we love you" - apparently underwent prior screening.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived for a "spontaneous" visit to the Malha Mall in Jerusalem and published a video in which passersby are seen greeting him with shouts of "beloved Prime Minister." However, a closer look reveals that all the supporters who met "by chance" with the Prime Minister are wearing black bracelets, suggesting they underwent strict screening before the video was filmed.
In the video, Netanyahu is seen shaking hands with these "passersby," talking to children, and taking pictures with those who ask, while from all sides shouts are heard: "Bibi, I love you," "You are number 1," and "Our dear Prime Minister, thank you." He turns to the camera and says:
"We have a wonderful people. It is good to meet them here. I met mothers here who brought their children, I met Arabs and Jews, I met IDF disabled veterans and the child who wants a picture."
However, the fact that all the people seen in the video are wearing the same black paper bracelet raises questions regarding the claim that it was a spontaneous meeting with citizens. If the crowd underwent careful prior screening, then the event was clearly planned. The Prime Minister's Office and the Likud spokesperson's office refused to respond to inquiries, but Knesset members from the opposition did not spare the criticism.
MK Merav Ben-Ari (Yesh Atid) stated:
"For months Netanyahu has been meeting only with soldiers, police officers, Shin Bet and Mossad personnel - an obedient audience that is forbidden to speak - and suddenly he is walking around the Malha Mall in Jerusalem, like any other person. Honestly, I was surprised, I thought he was trying to be Naftali Bennett for a day - to be authentic, to sit with the people, to hear what hurts them. But with Bibi, everything is one big fake, everything is a scam. He went to the mall, chose a crowd, marked them with a black bracelet, and 'met' them. I wish that one day he would sit with people who think differently than he does."
