Before memes and AI: How they used to mock politicians

A review article on the use of political humor in Israel before the era of memes and AI, through cartoons, comics, and election posters in newspapers from the past, presenting historical examples of satirical propaganda against political rivals.

The article reviews how political parties in Israel used political humor decades before social media, through cartoons, comics, and wordplay in newspapers and posters. It presents historical examples: a 1981 cartoon in the newspaper 'Davar' showing Menachem Begin taunting democracy; propaganda by Mapam against the alliance of Mapai and the General Zionists; exploitation of Moshe Sharett's dismissal by Ben-Gurion to attack Mapai; and the Liberal Party's mockery of Moshe Dayan as Minister of Agriculture under the headline 'The weapons champion failed in farming'. The article concludes that political humor has not disappeared but has shifted platforms to memes and AI, while the goal remains similar.