MK Gal-On
MK Gal-OnIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Meretz Chairwoman Zehava Gal-On attacked Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid on Sunday, accusing him of lying during the current election campaign. 

According to Gal-On, Lapid personally signed and approved transfers to the World Zionist Organization's Settlement Division during his tenure as Finance Minister, despite his claims to the contrary. 

WZO's Settlement Division functions as an operational arm of the government to build and establish communities and infrastructures in Judea and Samaria. 

"It's been a good week for Yair Lapid, who announced to the world that he's the number 1 soldier against corruption, pledged to increase transparency, and handled Settlement Division funds. Indeed, this Saturday is a good day to daydream," Gal-On fired sarcastically. 

The Chairwoman added that it was Lapid who had obstructed Meretz's transparency initiatives in the last government. 

"You raised a finger against [the initiative] and denied the public their right to know about the ugliest deals closed in the government," Gal-On accused, "you and no one else. Nobody prevented you from voting for [the initiative] all the times the proposal came before the Ministerial Committee for Legislation." 

"We are sick of you," Gal-On thundered on. 

"Take responsibility for your actions and the fact that for two years you served as a fig leaf in the most corrupt government of Israel's history, and you would not dreamed of leaving had [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu not fired you. The same Netanyahu that you now refuse to say you won't sit with in a government. Have you no shame?" 

According to Gal-On, Lapid personally approved all transfers to the Settlement Division in the past two years. "Yair Lapid's signature - not anyone else's - was perched at the bottom of any request that came to the Finance Committee. 

"It must be one of two things: either he knew [where the money was going] and now he's lying brazenly - which borders on criminal, or he was so irresponsible as a finance minister that he agreed to sign the transfer of hundreds of millions of shekels, without a clue as to where it was going." 

"Either way," Gal-On stated, "He has proved once against that we cannot believe a word that comes out of his mouth." 

Gal-On also attacked Lapid's plan to lead anti-corruption legislation, which he claims has affected all major parties except for his own.  

"There is no such thing as a war on corruption for someone who sat for two years as one of the state's most corrupt governments, and is still not ready to declare he won't sit with them again." 

"Yair Lapid, you should internalize this: There is only one way to ensure a fight against corruption in this election, and it's not going to include your friends [Jewish Home Chairman Naftali] Bennett and Netanyahu. The true change is with Meretz," Gal-On concluded.