Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, reportedly angrily hung up the phone on Prime Minister Netanyahu after the premier’s Likud party backed a proposal to establish a parliamentary committee to investigate judges’ alleged conflict of interests, despite fierce opposition to the move by Blue and White.
According to the Walla news site, Deri and United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni tried to convince Netanyahu during a conference call to drop his support for the proposal, but he refused.
The report says Deri then said in a raised voice: “This will topple the government, you want to topple the government?” before slamming down the phone.
Channel 12 news reports Deri also said, “We have a million unemployed people and you’re leading [us to] elections.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri at the Knesset on March 4, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
