Minister Yuval Steinitz
Minister Yuval SteinitzFlash 90

Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud) is still upset over an incident in which Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) demanded his ejection from a Security-Diplomacy Cabinet discussion ten days ago.

Steinitz called Lapid “supercilious and arrogant,” in an interview on Channel 2's Meet the Press that aired Saturday evening. Steinitz preceded Lapid as finance minister, and is considered to be a close ally of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu agreed to eject Steinitz from the discussion after Lapid insisted that he was bound to do so, according to the terms of the agreements they signed when the Coalition was formed.

"I have criticism regarding the prime minister's handling of the matter,” Steinitz said. “I was insulted at having to wait outside the session for 20 minutes, out of a four-hour-long meeting.

"This was a completely superfluous incident,” he added. Netanyahu “is exhibiting weakness vis-a-vis Lapid.”

The government session dealt with the defense budget, and Steinitz was invited to it as a former finance minister. However, because of unexpected developments in the “peace process,” part of the session was devoted to diplomatic subjects. It was that part of the discussion that Lapid demanded Steinitz be ejected from.