Wearing a black polo shirt, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crosses the gym and makes his way to a punching bag. He hits it a few times, and then continues with a few more upper body exercises to the beat of the music. It's arms day for the prime minister in episode two of his new vlog launched last week. As with most things Netanyahu does, it has become the most talked-about story on the social networks.
Critics ridiculed the “personality cult” he’s promoting. Some suggested jokingly that the prime minister should wait until he goes to prison before he starts working out. But one thing is certain: No one is ignoring the videos, and Netanyahu’s new media team is already busy with the next few episodes.
Netanyahu said in the first episode, which aired on June 2, that he is the first prime minister — or at least one of the first — to have a vlog. The second episode, released two days later and called, “Working Out,” was almost twice as long as the first at over seven jam-packed minutes.
In the video diary, Netanyahu takes his audience behind the scenes and shares a first-person account of his days. The camera is right behind him as he walks the Knesset corridors, surrounded by security guards in masks. It shows him entering his heavily protected car and strolling along the paths of the Ministry of Defense compound in Tel Aviv, where he has another office. Netanyahu is sending a clear message: The prime minister works non-stop from morning to night for the citizens of Israel.
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