Transportation Minister Miri Regev (Likud) has issued a sharp attack against the head of the Yamina party, MK Naftali Bennett, and is also claiming that recent polls showing the rise of the Yamina party and the decline of her own do not reflect genuine public feeling.
Speaking on Galei Tzahal, Regev said, “Bennett is letting things go to his head. But he should beware of taking the polls too seriously – they’re just a way-station on the path to elections. At the moment of truth, it will become quite obvious who acted responsibly and who, with his childish behavior, caused the right-wing bloc to disintegrate.”
Asked to explain the prolonged delay in presenting a state budget for Knesset approval, Regev responded: “A budget is not something you can just produce – hey, presto and it’s done. I hope that Benny Gantz notices the highly professional discussions on the issue that are proceeding even as we speak, and realizes that the matter is being dealt with.”
Regev also commented on the questioning of fellow Likud MK Miki Zohar regarding allegations that he issued threats against the Attorney-General, Avichai Mandelblit. “Today it’s Miki Zohar – tomorrow it could be you,” she replied. “This was designed to instill fear and keep people quiet. Where are the recordings make by Effi Naveh? Why isn’t he being treated as a whistleblower on corruption? What happened to the Harpaz recordings? The rule of law should not be allowed to turn into something that terrorizes.”
Approached for comment, the Yamina party responded: “The reason why a million Israeli citizens have been rendered unemployed, why thousands of businesses have gone bankrupt, is one – the Likud party of Netanyahu, Osnat Mark, and Miri Regev, which places politics and power-mongering above the welfare of Israeli citizens.”
MK Ofir Sofer of the Yamina party added, “I heard what Miri Regev said. I also heard how she ‘rushed through’ the establishment of a coronavirus testing center at Ben Gurion airport – the plan for which was first proposed by [Yamina MK] Betzalel Smotrich and which it took the government half a year to implement.”