In all the excitement, controversy and dismay related to Israel’s Defense Minister abandoning his party, Labor, and forming a new faction, it seems that many of us overlooked the funny part.

As the Forward reported here, in what many viewed as an act of self-preservation as Labor turned on him, Likud Barak has now set up the Ha’atzmaut faction and taken four Labor lawmakers with him.

When the Knesset on Wednesday went through the formality of approving Barak’s new faction, lawmakers from the opposition Kadima party produced cans of air freshener and sprayed them around the chamber because they claim that Barak’s move “stinks.” See a video of this most amusing of political publicity stunts here.

Ironic that Kadima acts high-and-mighty about a leader setting up a new faction. Kadima was established by Ariel Sharon, then leader of Likud, who broke away from his party.

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