As Obama exits stage, is he using Peres’s script?

It has been frequently remarked in the entertainment industry over the last few years that Israeli culture is “in.” From the living room to the kitchen, Israelis have been plundered for their television shows, their music and their cooking. Now, even President Barack Obama himself may be getting in on the Israeli mimicking trend.

No, not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or his policies, which the White House has been clear to distance itself from. But rather it seems Obama is looking at Shimon Peres for inspiration as he looks to join the elder Israeli statesman in post-presidential life.

Social media feeds are palpably shaking at the chortling of Obama fans, happily linking to a video just released online by the White House, in which Obama despondently tries to decide what on earth he will do with his life after the presidency. He applies for jobs, asks for advice, and allows himself to look more-than-a-little ridiculous. The film debuted at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and, at the time of writing, it already had several hundred thousand views across various YouTube channels.

Sound familiar?

It does, doesn’t it? Because what Fox Television Studios did to “Hatufim” (the Israeli TV series that would become “Homeland”), President Obama has just done to that charming video (circa 700,000 views) that Shimon Peres’s grand-daughter made as he, himself, was leaving office two years ago.

Remember how it goes? Peres is sitting in his presidential office, bored, starting to pack up. He plays solitaire on his computer and hurriedly switches his screen when there’s a danger anyone will see, and then he tries out a procession of rather-less-exciting new jobs — checkout clerk in a supermarket, gas station attendant, pizza delivery guy. He goes to an employment center, where the lady is decidedly unimpressed by his story.

Now watch the Obama film, entitled “Couch Commander.” He lies on a sofa, asking Joe Biden what on earth he should do. Try sports, suggests the vice president. So Obama phones a sports team. They hang up on him. He goes to see someone about getting a driving license who (not unlike — not at all unlike — Peres’s scornful job-center person) rolls her eyes. There the stories diverge, with a little (and slightly misconceived) Snapchat gag, and a hastily arranged consultation with a former rival.

Is it honestly possible that Obama (or one of his advisers) never saw the Peres film? It seems unlikely. And if that were the case, then this would be one heck of a coincidence. And presidents aren’t supposed to believe in coincidences.

After this, the Jerry Seinfeld interview, “Funny Or Die” and some other laughfests, it sometimes seems as though Obama’s principle legacy play is to be remembered as comedian-in-chief. And to be fair to him, he’s pretty good at it. I just hope he considers giving one S. Peres a screen credit. I’m not sure what that guy’s doing now.