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| - As Israel heads into its fourth election in two years, the presenter of the country's favourite satirical TV show has a request, and he's only half joking. "I would like us to finally have a stable government and make a boring programme," says Eyal Kitsis, frontman of the Channel 12 show "Eretz Nehederet" ("A Wonderful Country"). As much as Israel's political turmoil may be straining the patience of the electorate, it has been television gold because "reality is crazy", Kitsis told AFP. "Elections and politics have really become entertainment in this country. Our challenge as a satirical programme is to add a layer to it, to take it to the next level." On the show, a deadpan Kitsis often interviews a fake Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, portrayed as a sneering character with a shiny gray-purple combover. When asked tough questions, the pretend PM replies in meaningless syllables that mysteriously make the question disappear, keeping with "Bibi"'s reputation as a political magician who survives any challenge, even a corruption trial. While not running for office, Netanyahu's wife Sara is portrayed as the true leader of Israel who makes key decisions such as appointing the head of the Mossad spy agency. Netanyahu's luckless rival turned short-lived governing partner, former army chief Benny Gantz, is depicted as a mild-mannered "Incredible Hulk" character who tries to muster up rage as waves of former supporters call for his resignation. While Israel's last three elections have pitted Netanyahu against Gantz, Tuesday's vote sees him facing a new cast of characters -- the centrist Yair Lapid, the far-right contender Naftali Bennett, and right-wing Likud defector Gideon Saar. "All of a sudden there was a lot of suspense," said Kitsis. "There are so many interesting topics that it also energises the writing." The show's creators have had fun mocking Saar and pitting him in a hip-hop battle against Netanyahu and the other right-wing contenders. "Once Saar announced his party, also on the right, it led to a dynamic we didn't have in the previous elections," said Kitsis. As Israel looks ahead to another election with a highly uncertain outcome, the show's co-creator and producer Muli Segev wonders what's next, especially if Israel ends up with a stable government. "How are we going to do another season without elections?" he said. "We've gotten used to this situation where the country is always on the edge, always living an electoral campaign. "Elections are always good for our programme, even if not for Israel." dms/gl/cgo/jjm/fz
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