Yair Lapid calls Netanyahu ‘weak’ slams proposed ‘Deri Law’
Outgoing Prime Minister Yari Lapid had some harsh words on Monday for the man poised to replace him, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Shas leader Aryeh Deri at the Knesset swearing-in ceremony, Nov. 15, 2022. Photo by Elyashiv Rakovski/TPS.
Lapid called Netanyahu “weak” for allowing the ultra-orthodox Shas Party to push forward what is being called the “Deri Law” for the party’s leader Aryeh Deri.
“The incoming government is establishing a special committee to pass the Deri law,” said Lapid. “A completely corrupt law, a completely personal law, which has only one goal: to allow a person convicted of crimes to become a minister.”
The proposed law would allow convicted felons to serve in any cabinet post without restrictions. It is named for Deri – by its opponents – because he has twice been convicted on corruption charges. Most recently, he was forced to resign from the last Knesset because of his second conviction. Deri wanted to be the new Finance Minister, but his criminal record created too much opposition to this, and so he relented and accepted a different post instead.
Bibi is weak. Deri knew he would surrender to him like he surrendered to everyone,” added Lapid. “So instead of breaking the law, Aryeh Deri changes the law. That’s how he will manage to become a minister.”
Lapid also said that the law will not be passed because four new coalition members will be barred from voting for it.
“Out of drunkenness of power and arrogance,” said Lapid, “they forgot one thing: in the new coalition, there are four people who are not allowed to vote on this law, because they are in conflict of interests. “
Lapid did not specify who the four coalition MKs were, but one is obviously Deri himself.
He did, however, say that he was issuing an “urgent” appeal to the Knesset’s legal advisor in order to prevent these four coalition members from voting on the law due to what Lapid described as “an inherent and serious conflict of interest.”
Lapid did not elaborate on what exactly this conflict of interest is.
