Sima Kadmon
Sima KadmonJournalists' Association

Yediot Aharonot journalist Sima Kadmon referred this morning in her column to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech at the opening of the Knesset’s winter session.

On Monday, Netanyahu delivered a fiery speech at the opening ceremony, attacking the Opposition, radical left and hostile media. The Prime Minister spoke of the wonderful situation the State of Israel is in at the current time and criticized the "soreheads" in the Opposition and on the far-left who cannot stop whining about how everything is terrible.

"The 'industry of depression' is still there and it has respected representatives in this house and in the media," Netanyahu said, referring to some Opposition MKs.

"Today the soreheads say: 'The public is bitter,' or 'Netanyahu walks around with a bitter expression.' They cannot decide whether I am bitter, smug, or both. [They say] that we are missing historic opportunities here. I remind you that these are the same people who criticized my speech on Iran to Congress, and they did so with assumed authority and grave demeanor," he added.

"You are always searching for what's missing, constantly attacking, and you complain all the time. And then there are those who constantly badmouth everything," added the Prime Minister. "In your case, you put your trust (hopes to unseat the PM, ed.) in the story of the submarine affair, but you already understand that this story is also going down the drain."

Kadmon said that she had expected a celebratory and unifying speech. “There are enough things that the Prime Minister could say to the citizens of his country, and the timing of the opening Knesset session is a good opportunity.”

“Contempt, disregard, disgust and bitterness took control of Netanyahu yesterday, just like times when he stands before Likud activists and incites his supporters against the Opposition, the Left, the media, the State Prosecutor's Office - anyone he thinks is against him and his family."

"Yes, Mr. Prime Minister, I am bitter, like so many other bitter citizens who see where this government is taking us, we are bitter when we see your contempt for the investigations against you, and on the other hand, do everything possible to stop them, to the point of the Coalition Chairman threatening to go to elections. "

Kadmon added, "Yes, Mr. Prime Minister, we are bitter because of all the things that the opposition leader enumerated in his self-accusatory speech: bitter and frustrated and disappointed by the situation and the face of the state, as Herzog said. We are bitter, Mr. Prime Minister, because under your rule we feel a sense of missed opportunity."

The "missed opportunity" often cited by the Left is acceptance of the Arab demand to withdraw from Judea and Samaria in exchange for promises of peace. In his speech, Netanyahu said that the only thing that could stop the Left's complaints is destroying Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Kadmon did not mention that, nor did she criticize President Rivlin's acerbic speech attacking the Prime Minister that preceded Netanyahu's words, although the president is supposed to be above politics.

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