With the musician son, Eliav Zohar.
"Focuses on culture and sports" (Photo: Shay Assig)
As someone in charge of the culture field, Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar was supposed to lead the torch lighting ceremony.
As for the up-and-coming singer Eliav Zohar, he also knows a thing or two about culture.
But Zohar decided to clear the stage (literally) for Miri Regev, for whom no task is small, and he was forced to watch the ceremony from the stands, and passively accompany what many see as a campaign of flattery for the Netanyahu family.
"For me, it was a wise and smart step not to take on the responsibility for the ceremony. When I started the term I really wanted to focus on culture and sports and I added a billion shekels to the ministry's budget. This year's beacon ceremony is difficult and complex to manage and I am glad that I was not required to deal with it. There were claims that the ceremony became political, but Although it is an important ceremony, I am not at the event - this is the last thing I need to manage."
This state line, it seems, characterizes Zohar in recent times: the Minister of Culture and Sports was also one of the first to call for lowering the level of the flames regarding the Memorial Day events and conducting a cultural discourse.
"This is a holy day for the country. I was disturbed by this day and called on everyone to act responsibly and listen to what the bereaved families want."
"Oversensitivity this year is the most requested thing. I hope that next year we will be in a different situation where the ceremony will unite all citizens and we will not reach a situation where the ceremony gets mixed up in political matters. We have had a difficult time."
But there is banter in the field of sports as well, such as Beitar Jerusalem fans descending on the soccer field or Hapoel Jerusalem fans chanting against you in the basketball game against Athens.
"I left the Hapoel Jerusalem game more encouraged than disappointed.
There were indeed chants from individual fans, but there were many dozens of fans who condemned the act and said that they appreciate and thank me for my participation in the event."
"In the end, there is no question that a strange situation has arisen in Israel where there is an event that could degenerate us to the extreme of polarization, verbal violence and great anger. I say to the Hapoel fans: 'We are brothers. There were anti-Semitic actions against you in the game in Athens by the haters of Israel. We are one nation for better or worse even if not We agree. We don't have another country."
How do you explain the severe deterioration in public discourse?
"This is a story of many, many years that has now reached an alarming climax. Anyone who thinks that only one camp is responsible is wrong and misleading. Both sides are pouring oil on the fire. I was also part of those who were very aggressive in the public discourse, but at some point I internalized that this is not the way."
"The parties are taking things to the extreme and turning us into a bipolar society. In the end, if we don't know how to live together, there will be nothing left. The enemies look at us from the outside and make the mistake of thinking that this is a good opportunity to hit us. I personally made a change two and a half years ago and I make sure to work to change the public discourse."
Presents the state basketball trophy with the president.
"My three hobbies now are: football, basketball and volleyball" (Photo: Barney Ardov)
"advocates for the continuation of the status quo"
The discourse is also worrisome on the subject of religion and state.
They are trying to force us, for example, to change the status quo on Shabbat - and the cultural events on Shabbat are an example
"From what I understand, Shabbat cultural events will continue as scheduled and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu also clarified his position. The Ministry of Culture will continue to fund events on Shabbat, but will not initiate such events. The initiative will not come from the ministry And this is because of the need for a status quo that will prevent the split."
"I advocate the continuation of the status quo on Shabbat and it should be preserved from all sides. Likud is a liberal national party and it is important to preserve the freedom of culture. As mentioned, we are not initiators, but we will certainly continue to fund."
Will you interfere in the content of the shows in theaters like Shmiri Regev used to do in the past?
"The financial situation of the theaters in Israel is relatively fine and today there is an increase in the demand for viewing. Our office is an important anchor for the existence of the theaters and the budgets directed there are significant. But for me as the Minister of Culture it is important to bring the benefits to the peripheral areas as well."
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"My approach is different from that of Miri Regev. I don't come to make confrontations" (Photo: official website, Kobi Gideon/Leam)
"My approach is different from that of Miri Regev"
"Regarding the interference in the content, my approach is different from that of Miri Regev. I do not come to have confrontations, debates or struggles, but to act for the sake of all the people of Israel. I am a distinct right-wing person who advocates a fair distribution of resources, but I do not come to clash. I expect from all the working parties With me to allow me to implement the policy without harming anyone."
You managed to get a billion shekels for your office's budget, which is excellent.
But in the state budget there is almost no treatment of the cost of living issues that Netanyahu has made a priority.
"I really think there is a lot of good news in the budget for the economy. For example, the extension of credit points for families with children aged 6-12. It is true that the previous government started this, but we are continuing. Beyond that, the budgets have social parameters included in the Settlements Law. "The most important news in the budget is that the deficit is
not will reach high numbers compared to the last year's budgets.
This is important at a time when there is global economic instability."
The chairman of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar David, announces a strike. Zohar thinks that the good relations between the Likud and the Histadrut have been damaged, but it is certain that they will warm up again (Photo: Yotam Ronan)
The strike damaged relations with the Histadrut
You and Justice Minister Yariv Levin are close to the Histadrut leadership.
How do you relate to the great strike and the debate over whether Netanyahu and his family were involved in it behind the scenes?
"There is no doubt that our relationship in Likud with the Histadrut has been getting better and better in recent years. The strike event damaged the relationship because it was an unjustified strike. I am happy that it ended within a day and that things are back on track. "The relationship with them will only get stronger in the future because we want to maintain
conditions Employment and employee rights.
Regarding the strike, I don't think there was coordination with Netanyahu.
I know that he actually asked to wait with the strike because he intended to bring news regarding the legal reform, but unfortunately it broke in the end."
It is certain that advocacy will also resolve the attitude towards reform in the world
Joe Biden against Benjamin Netanyahu: "I will not invite Netanyahu to the White House anytime soon. Israel cannot continue on this path" (Photo: according to Section 27 A)
The problem with the reform is in the advocacy
Regarding the legal reform, you said that mistakes were made in assessing the strength of public opposition.
How do you fix it?
"Everyone noticed very quickly and already at the beginning of the road that great opposition was beginning to arise from the left camp, elements of the judicial system and the army. The reform was launched even though they were not properly prepared in terms of information. The problem was information and they were not made accessible. "The demonstrators claimed that the reform harms democracy and I still do not understand
why talking.
The reform is about balance in terms of the composition of the judges.
It does not harm democracy.
Even an override clause with a majority of 61, which allows the law to be invalidated, is not a violation.
"We want the ability to govern without invalidating laws. There is a large public that mistakenly thinks that this is a violation of democracy and that is absolutely not true."
Not only the Israelis are afraid, but also foreign parties, from President Biden to the credit rating companies.
Despite this, you say that the legal revolution will start?
"There is no doubt that the revolution will be renewed because this is an important issue for the right-wing camp. I still hope that it will be within the framework of the agreements in the President's House. In any case, the reform will take place, but it is not clear what the scope will be. I hope that it will be through the agreements because otherwise it will harm the unity of the people." Regarding the position of the external
factors , in the end it's all the result of a consciousness that has accumulated in Israel and is also permeating around the world, that the move does harm democracy.
There is also a problem of information regarding what is happening in the world.
"The positions of the credit companies also reflect what you hear in the media. I hope that the President of the United States will be able to accept another hand in the future and will understand that the legal revolution does not harm democracy." So why was the President's outline, which was reasonable from the point of view of all parties, not accepted? If you had accepted it
already Two months ago you would have spared all the damage to the economy and the deepening of the social rift
"Unfortunately, there was too great a gap between what was agreed upon in advance and what the final outline looked like. But this is spilled milk. I hope that in the end you will indeed find a way to an agreement and the reform will end in a compromise. I still believe that the ideal solution to the crisis is through the president's house."
Yeshiva students come to receive the exemption from military service (archive).
"In the next session we must advance the conscription law" (Photo: Reuven Castro)
The mandates will return home
In the meantime, the polls are not flattering to say the least for the collapsing Likud
"The polls are done at a certain point in time that does not reflect reality. In the left camp there is a shift towards Benny Gantz who calls for unity and reconciliation while Yair Lapid calls for an extreme struggle. On the right, people do not want to answer the polls because they are angry because the reform is not progressive. It's a kind of situation where the right stays at home.
"If we continue with the policy and calm the spirits, there is no doubt that the mandates will return home.
Whoever thinks that the right is not interested in reform does not understand the public.
If we come to agreements, what is good and we do not advance the reform as it is.
Things must move forward in the next Knesset session at the same time as the budget and the conscription law that must be addressed."
What do you say about the demonstrations? You warned that they could lead to violence
"I expressed concern out of my responsibility as a minister in the government, that the demonstrations between the right and the left could end in violence, if they do not come to an understanding at the president's house. These things are said out of responsibility for all citizens out of a desire to prevent dangerous situations. The best thing for the country is to reach broad agreements. "The reform will not pass as it
was In the beginning, it will be corrected with all kinds of parameters, and in the end, there will be a reasonable reform."
You regret the three KPF, which you quoted from someone who claimed that they motivate a politician: power, money, respect?
"Of course they interpreted the wrong things. My three hobbies are football, basketball and volleyball.
All the things that were taken out of context did not reflect what I really believe in.
I gave up the money I had in the business world to do for the citizens.
I really hope to succeed."
Of money
Tags
Mickey Zohar
Minister of Culture
Ministry of Culture and Sports
reform
Miri Regev
