In a talk to his fellow party members, opposition head and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu revealed some tips for coping with criticism when being interviewed – not just dealing with it, but rising above it and moving on.
“If they attack you with a certain question and you reply to it, at that very moment you have essentially accepted the premise of the questioner,” Netanyahu can be heard saying in a recording that was broadcast on Channel 13. “Instead, what you say is: I don’t agree with your argument. You deny the premise and then move straight to the attack.”
Netanyahu then explained that, “The deciding factor in all cases when answering questions is whether or not you relate to the attack within the question and accept [the premise]. If you do that, you always end up getting into a sticky situation. What I’m telling you to do instead, from my own experience, is to instead state clearly that you don’t accept the premise of the question – you don’t accept the slant that’s lurking beneath it. Then, you move straight to the attack. That’s it – just move straight to the attack.”
On Monday, Netanyahu held his first “Spaces” talk on Twitter and answered a variety of questions that were broadcast live.
His first target for attack was Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, relating to Shaked’s own speeches earlier this week. “I saw Ayelet Shaked’s media blitz,” Netanyahu said. “It was all a show. Poor tormented Shaked always ends up going over to the Left. [Her words] don’t convince anyone. They don’t even convince many in her own party.”
Later on in his comments, Netanyahu clarified that, “Our goal is to overthrow this dangerous government, one that is basically dependent on the Islamic Movement and which fulfills all its desires.
“Tax money that goes to [UAL head Mansour] Abbas is tax money going to Hamas,” he continued. “They’re taking all the money and leaving nothing for soldiers or interns. I have no problem with helping the Arab community, but when we [in the Likud] do that, we do so in a responsible manner, rather than just funneling money into the pockets of the Islamic Movement.”
Netanyahu noted that, “This is the first government in the history of Israel to actually bring the Islamic Movement into the coalition. If, G-d forbid, Hamas starts shooting into balconies in Sderot, it will bring the government down. If they respond to the murder of Shmueli z”l, the government will fall.
“There are all kinds of ways in which the government can collapse,” he added. “If the budget fails to pass, then the government falls too. We’re working on all kinds of things.
“And what we want now are elections,” he added. “I have no doubt that we’ll get 61 seats with ease. There’s huge opposition to this fraudulent government among the people. Bennett and Shaked talk right-wing and act left-wing, and Sa’ar won’t cross the electoral threshold. If we go to elections now, we’re going to win, and win big,” he concluded.