From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Eli Avidar quits cabinet, returns to Knesset assailing ‘hysterical’ Bennett
As expected, minister without portfolio Eli Avidar has announced his resignation from the government and his return to the Knesset as an MK.
He does so while assailing the coalition of which he is a part.
“Government policy in the last few months has made my stay impossible,” he says, attacking restrictive coronavirus policies.
He attacks Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as “hysterical,” and says he is “not committed to the rotation” of the premiership with Yair Lapid.
“The man grew up on Netanyahu and does not intend to free himself of him. He copies him in every move.”
Still, he insists he will seek to ensure the government completes its term.
“My resignation comes three months too late,” he says. Avidar, despite promises to the contrary, never obtained a content-rich ministerial portfolio.
“I’ll work to do everything to make this government live out its days. But the government’s survival isn’t a value in itself… the government has to fulfill its promises.”
“The difference between the conservative camp and the liberal camp is that the conservative camp works the whole year, all day, without stop, with an agenda to topple the government,” he says. In contrast, the government involves itself in “selfies, cool tiktok videos.”
“We won’t win this way,” he says.
The Times of Israel Community.