Gantz derides bid to expand cabinet as ‘political bribery’

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of resorting to “political bribery” in his bid to expand the number of cabinet posts that he may offer to his coalition partners to woo them into the government.

“Can you believe we are going to talk today about increasing the number of ministers? This is simply another tool in the toolbox of political bribery. Its only aim is political gain. Anyone who accepts this is accepting a political bribe,” says Gantz at his party’s weekly faction meeting.

“In a few weeks we will be debating the immunity bill that will turn the Israeli parliament into nothing less than a refuge city for criminals,” he adds.

“To Bibi I say — be a man. Stop this now. You have gone too far. We will fight this in parliament, on the street, in the squares, in schools, in the media in order to protect democracy for everyone. We will not let it happen,” says Gantz.

He urges Israelis to take to the streets to protest.

Gantz’s comments are echoed by Blue and White MK Yair Lapid.

“What we see now is not coalition negotiations, it’s a bribery deal. Each party, each minister comes in and says they want something, budgets, ministries etc and he says he will give them if they promise to protect him from prosecution. That is bribery, that is selling the state for yourself,” says Lapid.

— with Raoul Wootliff