Deri slammed for accusing gov’t of ‘starving children’ while at 5-star Swiss resort

Shas chief Aryeh Deri released a video over the weekend slamming the government over price rises harming the weakest members of society, as he vacationed at a luxury hotel in Switzerland.

Deri resigned from the Knesset last week as part of a plea deal for tax offenses but is continuing to head the ultra-Orthodox party.

Coalition politicians lambasted Deri for the tone-deaf release of the video that came as he vacationed in St. Moritz.

In the video, a mother and son are seen shopping as the child asks to buy sugary drinks and disposable plates, two items that have recently been subject to tax hikes.

The mother laments being unable to buy them due to “[Finance Minister Avigdor] Liberman prices,” while a Russian-accented man in the store cheers the price of cat food, an apparent reference to a much-derided provision in the state budget designating NIS 12 million ($3.8 million) to neuter stray cats.

The man’s accent seemed to allude to Liberman and his Yisrael Beytenu party, which draws substantial support from Russian-speaking voters.

The video ends with the text reading, “A government that starves children and raises prices does not have a right to exist.”

ממשלה שמרעיבה ילדים – אין לה זכות קיום! pic.twitter.com/ZnfOP1N7G4

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— אריה מכלוף דרעי (@ariyederi) January 29, 2022

Deri faced widespread criticism over the video, with some publishing pictures of the lavish facilities at the five-star Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski hotel in St. Moritz, where he was staying.

ואם אתם רוצים לקבל רושם כללי על המלון בו שוהה כעת מנהיג השקופים, מייצג המדוכאים ואלוף בצלות אריה דרעי, מצ"ב חדר האוכל ועוד אתרים בקמפינסקי סנט מוריץ https://t.co/yWX9NOw5vi pic.twitter.com/vEXEFwImyB

— Ben Caspit בן כספית (@BenCaspit) January 29, 2022

Yisrael Beytenu MK Alex Kushnir tweeted that many of Deri’s constituents can’t cover their expenses “because you have decided that they do not deserve to study and make a living.”

“You made them dependent on pensions you handed out as election bribes while laughing at them from your home in Safsufa and shedding a tear from a luxury resort in Switzerland,” Kushnir added. “Your cynicism is so transparent that it is also seen through the plea deal you signed.”

Deri’s son Yanki Deri said in response that he and his eight siblings funded the Swiss vacation as a surprise for their parents’ wedding anniversary.

“We hope Dad and Mom will return with renewed strength to fight against the government’s decrees, which harm the weaker layers of society and Judaism,” he wrote on Twitter.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel called on Shas to immediately remove the video from social media, suggesting it violated election laws.

The group objected to the mother in the video referring to a government-issued food stamp card as a “Deri card,” citing the prohibition on using public resources for political campaigns.

“The video portrays a disturbing picture in which the Shas party is using public resources and funds for election propaganda in a manner that raises suspicions of violations of election laws,” the organization said.

The group added that it would appeal to the Central Elections Committee if the video isn’t removed.

Deri previously served 22 months in prison from 2000 to 2002 after he was convicted of taking bribes while serving as interior minister. In 2013 he returned to politics, reclaiming the leadership of Shas and ultimately returning to serve as interior minister from 2016 until last year when his party entered the opposition.