Labor MK excoriates Netanyahu, says he’s exploiting war to hand ‘bribe money’ to allies

Labor MK Naama Lazimi slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blaming him for strengthening Hamas ahead of October 7 and accusing him of playing political games while Israelis suffer.

Addressing the prime minister during a so-called 40 signatures debate on the “government of abandonment” called by the opposition, Lazimi says that while “entire settlements were bombed and destroyed,” Netanyahu “took advantage of the war to distribute bribe money to [his] cronies.”

“The reservists and their wives, the orphans of the IDF, the farmers — all these will wait. The main thing is that the [coalition] partners loot as quickly as possible before the burning tower of cards finally collapses,” she says, apparently referring to bids to allocate money to priorities of his ultra-Orthodox and far-right coalition partners.

“You strengthened those who slaughtered us. You handed [Hamas] suitcases of dollars in cash, you saw these murders as an asset. You avoided killing the heads of Hamas at least six times. Until now you have not explained to the public why. You are afraid to meet the public because you know that lives have been ruined because of your abandonment,” she says, repeating several unverified claims against Netanyahu — charging him with preferring “political survival over saving lives.”

“The one who prevents the greatest mitzvah of ransoming captives is the one who has forgotten what it is to be a Jew and a human being,” Lazimi adds, paraphrasing a hot mic comment made over 20 years ago by Netanyahu that the left “has forgotten what it is to be a Jew.”