Bibi Branded As ‘The Godfather’ By Ehud Barak

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By Daniel J. Solomon July 20, 2017

What do Marlon Brando and Benjamin Netanyahu have in common? According to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, his successor and the famous movie star might be more similar than expected.

Barak blasted Bibi in a social media video for the corruption scandals that have accumulated around the current premier, including questions about possibly improper gifts and relationships with industrialists.

He said the situation reminded him of “The Godfather” movies – in which Brando starred as Vito Corleone, the patriarch of a New York mobster family. But there’s one hitch, Barak said – Netanyahu is “without style,” unlike Corleone, who decked himself out in finely-tailored suits.

“I have many Likudnik friends who are no less patriotic than me and no less serious,” said Barak, referring to Netanyahu’s Likud party. “It’s not a matter of Right and Left. It’s what we are and who we are. Let’s say together we are sick of the corruption. Let’s take action.”

Barak served as prime minister for the Labor Party from 1999 to 2001, and later did a stint as defense minister under Netanyahu.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

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