Ben Gvir and Netanyahu
Ben Gvir and NetanyahuOlivier Fitoussi/Flash 90

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir commented in closed talks on the crisis in the coalition over the budgets demanded by his party, Otzma Yehudit, for the Ministry for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee.

Otzma Yehudit has announced that it does not intend to fulfill its commitments to the coalition, as long as it is not mutual. Otzma Yehudit has also said that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich "gives a lot of money to Minister [Orit] Strock from his party and on the other hand deprives Minister [Yitzhak] Wasserlauf of the Ministry of the Negev and the Galilee."

Minister Wasserlauf attacked Minister Smotrich and said in the closed conversations, "It is inconceivable that big statements are made when, at the same time, budgets are being cut for the promotion of the Negev and the Galilee. If the budget is as Smotrich presents it, it will mean the closure of major plans to strengthen the Negev and the Galilee."

Ben Gvir said in the closed meetings to his associates, "We are in a real crisis, and the Prime Minister needs to get into this issue and resolve it. He has a responsibility as Prime Minister. We heard briefings from the Likud today, they talked about elections. If the Likud wants to go to elections instead of giving a budget to the Negev and the Galilee - so be it. We came to the government to take care of the periphery and of personal security."

Earlier on Wednesday, senior coalition officials strongly criticized Ben Gvir after Otzma Yehudit again boycotted votes in the Knesset and warned that he could be responsible for the collapse of the current right-wing coalition and the rise of a left-wing government.

“Itamar Ben Gvir cares more about media coverage than maintaining the right-wing government and the integrity of the coalition,” the unnamed officials told Hebrew media outlets. "In the government, problems are solved together, and unlike his spins, he is not the only one who cares about the Negev and the Galilee. Maybe it's really better that they bring down the government, we go to elections, and the public kicks out the one who brought down the right-wing government. The rise of a left-wing government will be on his head.''