Yachin raises prices, and Ruby Rivlin is called to be the presenter Mickey Levin

Just before Passover and marking the 100th anniversary of the Yachin brand, the brand’s new tomato paste campaign was launched in the spirit of rooted Israelis and an affinity for the love of the land and agriculture, with the participation of none other than the former president of the country, Robbie Rivlin. We will not see Rivlin’s face in that campaign, but we will hear his voice, which in the past knew how to move and tremble a little, every time a dramatic national event took place, and play on the strings of empathy and identification of all of us.

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So the voice, Rivlin’s voice, and the hands of “Yakhin”. Those hands, which will pocket considerable sums from the campaign in question, because choosing a presenter who served as president and is one of the most important symbols of the country, is definitely an extraordinary choice, which sends a message of credibility, of the symbols of the country, and as mentioned will also attract a lot of attention and interest from the viewers in general and the consumer public in particular. As well as the column in question written by me at this very moment.

And just as the Yachin company, a commercial and private company, will rake in considerable profits, obviously, our dear former president will also benefit from them, because there are no free meals, even though Rivlin intends to donate the profits to important associations and organizations – this is what he said in his defense. I have no doubt that as a moral and ethical figure as we know him, he will keep his promise.

However, another question arises: Is it proper and honorable that a former president, despite being a private person today, free and happy who can do whatever he wants and even fulfill a magical childhood dream, to participate in advertisements, and no matter what, even for tomato paste, to take part in the sale Net commercial product?
In my opinion no, there is bad taste here, which tarnishes the state status of the president of the country. There has never been a former president who took part in a commercial campaign, at least not that I can remember. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a MK or a retired minister who retired from politics and leverages his fame into his private pocket, but the presidency has a different, state-like aura, one that obliges those engaged in the craft to maintain it even after they have finished fulfilling their duties.

The campaign conveys a message of unity and prosperity with Israel, when the only prosperity from the campaign in question is for the sales of Yachin’s private owners. And this is without even mentioning the steep price increase of the major food companies since the outbreak of the war, when Shikhin is among the companies that raised the shelf prices for consumers as well as the prices of their tomato paste, which led to the increase of the index just last March by 0.6% and inflation that climbs to 2.7%. And who is the presenter promoting the price increase of Yachin? Mr. Rivlin, in his own right.

I am not familiar with the laws of restrictions and prohibitions that apply to an outgoing president, and I assume that the honorable Mr. Rivlin would not have violated them, yet even if there are no restrictions, in the case of such an honorable position as the president of the country, the cooling-off period, at least on an ethical level, is valid for life and not limited in years.

One of the famous quotes of former President Rivlin about Israel’s foreign policy was: “There are three principles in the foreign relations of the State of Israel, the relations with the US, the relations with the US and the relations with the US”. More topical than these days, especially after the USA stood by us and showed deep friendship during the war, and after the unprecedented attack by Iran, when the greatest of the powers came together to head a coalition that participated in the defense of Israel.

It was more appropriate, required and honorable, that precisely now, when the relations between us and the USA, are not warning, due to the tensions between the two leaders, Netanyahu and Biden, that former President Robbie Rivlin, if he wishes to contribute so much to the country, should remind us all of the same old saying , and will star in a contribution to a campaign that will strengthen and preserve the friendship between us and the USA, instead of making a campaign to crush tomatoes.