Yariv Levin
Yariv LevinFlash 90

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) believes that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will not be indicted in any of the investigations against him and will continue to lead Israel for many years to come.

The Tourism Minister listed what he believes are the "tremendous achievements of the last few months in an interview with Arutz Sheva.

"The highlight is the transfer of the [US] embassy to Jerusalem. The decision of the president of the United States to do it as a gesture to the 70th Independence Day is certainly a dramatic, historic and very moving event."

"In addition to this, Guatemala is also [transferring its embassy to Jerusalem]. This is the beginning of a new era in everything related to the status of Jerusalem and all this is occurring along with the strengthening of relations with a host of countries," he said.

"In terms of security, this is definitely a challenging period, but we continue to be successful in dealing with all these challenges, with terrorism, defense, and the protection of our borders. In the socio-economic sphere we have been able to deliver very important things in this budget, such as the great improvement in the allowances to the handicapped, and so in this field too there are important achievements.

He said that the coalition would be able to easily pass the new draft law during the summer session. "The draft law will certainly be revived for the simple reason that we passed a bill in a preliminary reading and according to the arrangement that we formulated, we will have to complete the legislation during the summer session. I think that the arrangement that was formulated is a good foundation for an agreement because it bridges the gaps between the haredi demand to pass a draft law on their behalf and the defense minister's demand that the draft law be handled by the Defense Ministry,"

"On the one hand, the law passed in a preliminary reading as submitted by the haredi parties, and on the other hand, the timetable for submission of the Defense Ministry bill was shortened so that it would be brought during the summer session, and then we could merge the two proposals together for the second and third readings. This definitely gives us a good base for progress."

Minister Levin also believes that the defense establishment does not want a dramatic and immediate change in the haredi recruitment process. "They want and are interested in a gradual process, and not [that all haredim of draft age should be drafted] in a single stroke. with a radical change from end to end in the number of recruits from the haredi public, and therefore the gaps between the defense establishment and the position of the haredi parties is not too large a gap."

"I think that if there is good will and if the partnership really continues and they want to remain in the coalition, as we have done until now, we will be able to overcome this issue," he said.

Levin is also convinced that nothing has come or will come out of the investigations against Prime Minister Netanyahu."These investigations create a strong sense of injustice, a sense of preoccupation with matters that, for the most part, are subjects that not only have no criminal dimension but are hardly matters of ethics."

"There is also a strong feeling that in those matters the prime minister is being investigated, while others are not being investigated. I certainly believe the prime minister. I am convinced that this man is in his position to serve the State of Israel and the citizens of Israel and not for himself and his private fortune.

"Everyone knows that the alternatives that the prime minister could have done [instead of being in politics] are much better, and he does not have to accept bribes or take money that he does not deserve, so I believe and are convinced that in the end this will end with nothing and the prime minister will continue to lead Israel for many years. Certainly all the citizens of Israel want that. "