MK Tzvi Sukkot (Religious Zionist Party) embarrassed the chairwoman of the Yesh Atid Knesset faction, MK Merav Ben Ari, during a joint interview on Kan Reshet Bet.
The clash erupted after MK Ben Ari voiced her opposition to a bill granting tax benefits to residents of Judea and Samaria. MK Sukkot then revealed in the studio that Ben Ari had previously submitted a bill nearly identical to the current piece of legislation he is advancing.
During the interview, which focused on the political establishment's preparations for the upcoming elections, MK Ben Ari argued that pushing forward the Judea and Samaria tax benefits bill was merely part of the Religious Zionist Party's election campaign.
"Why should someone living in Judea and Samaria receive a tax benefit?" Ben Ari questioned during the debate. In response, Sukkot, the sponsor of the bill, blindsided her by asking if she would support his proposal.
After she repeatedly doubled down on her opposition to the law, Sukkot caught her off guard by revealing that his text is identical to the bill she had submitted herself at the start of the Knesset term.
He added that Ben Ari had originally taken the text of the bill from a piece of legislation initially introduced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. MK Ben Ari attempted to push back, claiming that various changes had been made to the current version of the bill.
As Ben Ari scrambled to explain the differences between the two versions, MK Sukkot offered a workaround. He proposed live on air that he would put Ben Ari's original bill up for a vote instead, demanding that the Yesh Atid party back it.
Listen to the interaction (in Hebrew):