Israel’s Interior Minister has been left red-faced after a video emerged of him using an onion to induce tears while filming a campaign video.
It seems that Arye Deri, of the ultra-orthodox Shas political party, resorted to extreme measures when he was unable to truly weap while speaking about Shas’ late spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
Yosef, who died in 2013, was the founder of the party and, as Deri clearly realized and exploited, the key to gaining the support of the membership.
The footage, taken during the filming of a 2015 election video, went viral on Sunday in Israel after it was broadcast by the country’s Channel 2.
In the clip, Deri can be seen enthusiastically rocking backwards and forth in mourning, only stopping to rub onion juice into his eyes in an attempt to fake sadness.
Israelis have taken to social media to express their anger over Deri’s political cynicism:
It is a little less surprising that Deri would be so comfortable in showing fraudulent emotions when you discover that the politician previously served 22 months in prison on corruptions charges. This did not stop him reclaiming party leadership upon his release in 2012.
Deri is not alone among high-profile Israeli politicians in facing corruption allegations. Last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interviewed by anti-corruption police for the third time. At least he can cry without assistance, though.
RA
