Deri, Liberman trade online blows over ultra-Orthodox, former Soviet immigrants

Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman are trading barbs over their respective constituents, the ultra-Orthodox and largely secular immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

In a Facebook post, Deri responds to Liberman’s earlier statement, in which the Yisrael Beytenu leader says both Likud and Blue and White are beholden to the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Addressing Liberman, Deri writes: “You demanded over NIS 2 billion for pensioners from the former Soviet Union who don’t work and don’t pay taxes. You demanded [Israel] open 17 immigration offices in former Soviet countries, states in which it’s doubtful there are even any Jews. And more, and more. So how do you have the audacity to accuse the Haredim of extorting?”

He denies Liberman’s claim that Blue and White offered four ministerial portfolios to Shas last month to coax the Haredi party into joining the government.

Liberman, in a follow-up statement, says Deri misunderstood him, implying the Shas minister can’t read in a jab at the lack of secular studies in some ultra-Orthodox schools.

“You seem to have a problem with reading comprehension,” writes Liberman. “Maybe this is the results of the lack of core studies in the Haredi schools. In my post, I didn’t write a thing about Haredi extortion. My claims are against Netanyahu and Likud who bow to pressures by the non-Zionist parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.”