Shas MK Michael Malkieli slammed Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) for the series of economic changes which have a significant impact on the haredi community.
Speaking to 103 FM Radio, Maklieli said, "When Liberman talks about this, apparently he also realized that we are in an election period. For decades already, Liberman's method when it comes to elections is to incite and blame another sector. For years this was the Arabs, now it somehow became the haredim."
"When he talks about cuts, decrees, incitement towards the haredi community - Liberman's head is on the one on the street signs, on stickers, on the interviews with his friends during the election period - and this is what he does."
According to Malkieli, "We all know that what is behind these statements are not professional statements and not real concerns. Liberman's decrees - on the daycare issue, he spoke about 6,000 women who will leave their workplaces. Where is the economic logic in that? Is that called an economic consideration or simply revenge against the haredi community? Liberman and [Foreign Minister Yair] Lapid (Yesh Atid) have taken the money of all three of us to their private pockets."
"There will be a new government headed by [MK Benjamin] Netanyahu (Likud), in this Knesset," Malkieli estimated. "We will form a government only with Netanyahu. We are strong with him, together as a bloc. We went to the opposition together with him and we will form a coalition with him in this Knesset. Today the Knesset has over 70 MKs who belong to the right-wing bloc. [Shas chief MK] Aryeh Deri sees his life's work, with all his talents, as removing this government from power, because it is only doing harm to the people of Israel."