Likud dismisses Yisrael Beytenu claim it's behind Knesset run of anti-Haredi Tiberias mayor

A Likud spokesman dismisses accusations from Yisrael Beytenu that his party is behind the Knesset candidacy of Tiberias Mayor Ron Cobi.

Kobi, who has gained notoriety over the past year for what critics have called provocative rhetoric against the expanding Haredi presence in his northern city, announced last week the formation of a new party to run in the September national elections.

His anti-Haredi message is likely to target a similar demographic that Yisrael Beytenu has long catered to.

In response to the Likud statement, Avigdor Liberman’s party issued a subsequent one of their own asserting that Netanyahu was indeed behind Cobi’s run and that the premier is “hysterical.”