Not Only in America: Videogames Hit Israeli Campaign Trail

Having just selected its candidates for upcoming national elections, Israel's ruling party, the centrist Kadima, is stocking its campaign arsenal with videogames.

According to Haaretz, the first target is Benjamin Netanyahu, chairman of the conservative Likud party. In the coming days, Kadima will release a videogame online that chides "Bibi," as the former prime minister is known in Israel, for dodging a debate Kadima's Tzipi Livni and Labor candidate Ehud Barak:

The Likud chairman gives a different answer each time a player attempts to drag him to the podium, including "Don't pressure me, I'm sensitive," and "I can't, an episode of Survivor is on right now."

Israeli political strategists have made careful study of American campaigns and are rushing to fashion their own digitally literate messages. The Obama team's tactics, in particular, are being aped. Netanyahu's web site has more than a passing similarity to the American President-elect's, and an Israeli parliament candidate apparently has his own Obama Girl-style ads. It'll be interesting to see if this "Obamania" in Israeli campaigning leads to more in-game political advertising.

[via Haaretz]