Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Saturday night rejected the claims of Likud MK David Amsalem that he was not appointed as a minister due to his being of Mizrahi origin.
"The claim that there is sectarian preference in Likud is ridiculous and untrue. It is enough to see the list of senior officials in the Likud which includes Amir Ohana - Speaker of the Knesset, Eli Cohen - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miri Regev - Minister of Transportation, David Bitan - Chairman of the Economic Committee and Ministers Miki Zohar, Idit Silman, Gila Gamliel, Amichai Chikli, Galit Distel and Shlomo Karhi - to refute this ridiculous claim," Netanyahu’s office said.
The statement also noted that Netanyahu values and cherishes MK Amsalem and therefore offered him any executive position in the government that he would like. "It is unfortunate that he rejected this proposal time and time again. Prime Minister Netanyahu is interested in integrating MK Amsalem into the government and hopes that a way will be found to do so."
Amsalem tweeted on Saturday night, "I was elected in fourth place in the primaries by the same voters who elected Netanyahu! When Netanyahu was persecuted and framed, my shouting was not problematic. Nobody cared about the style when it served and helped us significantly to come to power! Now there is no longer a need for Dudi - God forbid that he overly insult the opposition."
On Friday, Amsalem launched an unprecedented attack on Netanyahu after being left out of the government.
"No one will ever humiliate David Amsalem. They are not humiliating just Amsalem - but all the Amsalems and Bitans," he said.
"Not here, not in our party of which we make up 70%. I am in my home, Dudi Amsalem, I grew up in the Likud, I am the most veteran among the members of the faction. I have been in the Likud as a child since the age of 15 - I am not second tier,” he charged.