Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote an open letter on Tuesday, calling on the public to reject mainstream Israeli media.
"The Israeli media knows no boundaries in its false campaigns and its hatred for this government," he began. "They launch well-timed campaigns, based on lies from start to finish, harming the spirit of the people, unity, and the national resilience of us all."
He first accused the media of falsely claiming that the state budget had been redistributed due to the war. "Not one new shekel has been given to anyone - these are funds that were agreed upon well before the war. There have been delays in the technical transfer of the funds because of the infamous Israeli bureaucracy, but not one new shekel has been allotted."
He also denounced the portrayal of coalition funds in the media. "The headlines talk about the allotment of 300M shekels to Orit Strock's ministry as if it is her private money. it goes to restoring towns impacted by the massacre and encouraging the next generation of soldiers and volunteers. Many governments have done similar things. I am proud of these funds and of the excellent work Minister Strock is doing with them."
"I call on you, citizens of Israel, do not consume the poisonous lies of the Israeli media. Do not fall into the traps it lays for you. Only together, with faith, responsibility, and determination, and above all by speaking the truth, we will win."