Miri Regev
Miri RegevTomer Neuberg/Flash 90

MK Miri Regev (Likud) on Thursday rejected criticism by Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid over reported plans by the Likud to change the governance law, passed by the previous government, which reduces the number of ministers in the cabinet to 18.

Speaking to Galey Yisrael radio, Regev, who ranked high on the Likud’s list in the primaries and is expected to be appointed to a ministerial position, called for the law to be changed despite Lapid’s claim that doing so is corruption and his threat to fight any such move.

"I think there is no problem with increasing the number of ministers to 23, the same as in the outgoing government,” she said, adding, “It was convenient for Yair Lapid to have 23 ministers in the last government, right? So just as it was convenient for him in the outgoing government it should be convenient now.”

Earlier on Thursday, Lapid blasted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over reports of the planned change in the governance bill, which was passed at Lapid’s insistence.

"Netanyahu voted in favor of this bill, together with all of the Likud," he said. "What's their excuse this time? Political expediency? Work arrangements?"

"This is corruption," Lapid alleged, "and we will fight it in the Knesset and in the Supreme Court if necessary. What do they think, that because elections are over, the fight had ended? It's just beginning."