"Since childhood, I have had the desire to fight for the justice of Israel," Arden says before taking office as ambassador to the United Nations and Washington.
A few days after the last election , Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Gilad Ardan met for a face-to-face conversation about the continuation of their joint path. "I said to the prime minister, 'You know, half of my life I accompany you, close to you,'" Arden says.
"He asked, 'What, really?', And then we both kept quiet for a few moments.
" Listen, this is a piece of a chapter from life. In 1996, I began working as Netanyahu's adviser and as the director of the Public Inquiries Division in the Prime Minister's Office. Almost 25 years have passed since then, and I am almost 50 years old. I have been in this circle for half my life. "
This week, Arden and his family traveled to New York, in preparation for taking over as Israel's ambassador to the UN instead of Danny Danon. In four months he will also replace Ron Drummer as ambassador to Washington.
"On my personal level I felt it was right for me now to make a change. I served as a minister in important government ministries, enacted dozens of laws, was a member of many committees, I am proud of many reforms and processes I led. Now is the time to move on to something different, new."
As someone who has been out for Netanyahu's defense for years, maybe this is also the right time to stay away?
"That is not the consideration. I defended the prime minister even in the most difficult years. As long as Netanyahu represents the positions of the national camp and the Likud, I will support him and not act against him. This is not a personal matter. Personal relations can be more or less good, I do not let that Influence my principled positions.
"I admired Arik Sharon, and in 1995 I was willing to leave everything to work with him voluntarily as an opposition MK. And in the run-up to the 1996 elections, at which point every poll indicated a crushing loss of Netanyahu-led Likud to Shimon Peres. The founder of the settlement enterprise, Hero of Israel, but as soon as he declared in 2003 that he was ready for 'painful concessions' for peace with the Palestinians, and when he began to advance the disengagement process in 2005, I did not hesitate for a moment. I founded the Rebels, as we were called in the media. And I came out against him.
"I am not in the Knesset and the government as a representative of myself. I am a representative of the national camp. I have no right to take my ambitions or frustrations and act on them. "
Still, the Netanyahu trial will begin soon, and in the background protests are growing.
" I am sure that the prime minister would also have preferred to fulfill his role without indictments and without a trial. This is clearly a disadvantage, but in front of him Netanyahu has enormous advantages. He believes he is innocent, and in addition there is the people's decision that he is the only person who can form a government. The people prefer him over a person who lacks abilities and experience, or one who holds leftist positions. Together with the presumption of innocence and the unequivocal stipulation in the law that he may continue to serve in his position, there is no reason why this should not happen.
Photo: Ami Shamir
"The only one who is authorized to determine guilt is the court. Not the police, not the prosecutor's office or the ombudsman. I do not underestimate them, but there have been many cases where indictments have been filed, and the court has acquitted. "The
people still want Netanyahu, to the same extent?
" Public opinion and public atmosphere tend to change at times. There is no doubt that today, when the public is groaning and suffering from financial hardship and anxious for its livelihood, naturally people want answers from the government. This is perfectly legitimate, so the atmosphere today is not pleasant. Does anyone in Israeli politics have a secret patent for resolving the situation? Is there no second wave in other countries?
"I do not disagree that there are people down to heat broken. In the fields of aviation, tourism, culture, hotels, restaurants, events - everyone whose business is built on leisure, have suffered a huge blow. They should be at the forefront of government reference and care, with a promise of protection. "On a normal life and hope for the future, because the uncertainty among them is the highest."
Do you agree with the Prime Minister and his entourage that the recent demonstrations are an attempt to trample on democracy?
"In the recent protests there are many participants that I understand, and need to be helped, because they are in distress, and some are hungry for bread. And there are also political elements riding on the opportunity. This is also legitimate. Political demonstration is legitimate. Uncertainty and loss of livelihood ignite protest. only in Israel".
Do you think the police are acting against the protesters in a balanced way?
"The role of the police is the most difficult and forced good there is, because the policeman on the ground is required to make decisions in fractions of a second and makes decisions that will always be who will be angry with them. In this case - either the protesters or the government against whom they protest. Protest is a fundamental right.
"However, the freedom to protest is not a freedom to endanger the public by infection and not a freedom to incite violence. The police should enforce when there are violations of the law and violations of regulations, and I as Minister of Internal Security demanded it and reprimanded the commanders when it did not happen. This happened both at the funeral held by the Jerusalem faction in Bnei Brak, and at the left-wing demonstration in Tel Aviv, where no distance was maintained and there was no enforcement.
"Ultimately, the police have an almost impossible task, to enforce rules of distance between people in an audience of hundreds and thousands. . This is a task that automatically leads to the use of a lot of force, which can worsen the situation even further. I thought that during the corona the size of the demonstrations should be limited so that the police can make sure that the corona regulations are complied with. It did not happen because the Prime Minister and the Attorney General did not think like me. "Will you
run for the Likud presidency after Netanyahu?
" It is legitimate and clear that I have ambitions to reach the top, but if I declare that one day I will run for prime minister, that is not what will get me there. My. I build my public service track in such a way that if I decide to run, and I do not have such a final decision, I will have all the tools and experience to know that I am qualified for it. Representing Israel in the international arena and working with the US administration is a very significant achievement in terms of the experience you gain. "
Talk about the possibility of more elections soon.
" My inner assessment is that despite all the prophecies, the political system, at least the Likud, will continue in the coming years. ".
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The Arden family home in Kiryat Ono, on its three floors, was almost completely bare of objects and furniture at our first meeting, about two weeks ago. The TRX straps, which were used by Arden in the fitness training, which he kept to almost every day, hung in the garden. On the grass stood a particularly large trampoline for the children (15-year-old fan, 14-year-old Adi, 10-year-old Amit and 5-year-old Erel). Arden promised it as a gift to one of the moving company employees who vacated the house, ahead of his rental. Some crates were left in the living room corner, as well as two armchairs and two sofas.
"I leave life with a very strong infrastructure in every way - family, social, professional," says Arden. "In the Knesset and in the government, I know everything, I control every detail, and now I am displacing myself and my family to a completely different reality. These are healthy concerns, but I hardly sleep at nights because of them."
He has been offered the post of ambassador to the UN more than once since entering the Knesset in 2003. "Silvan Shalom offered me the position when he served as Foreign Minister in 2005, but I was a member of the Knesset for a total of two years, and it was too early. Lieberman offered me the job in 2011 when he was foreign minister, but I was then invested in reforms and environmental struggles as Minister of Environmental
Protection . " Environmental protection overcame the UN?
"Unequivocally. The Ministry of Environmental Protection was my first in government, in 2009, and my favorite ministry of all the offices I was in. You are fighting there for the entire public, for its health, and the whole public with you. Whether in the fight against construction on Palmachim Beach or the law on smoking prevention in public places "There is no question of right or left, you work for everyone, without exception. The role of ambassador is also like that."
What was decisive this time in accepting the position?
"We were much more mature now, as a family. It's a family decision, in the end, and my wife Shlomit (a lawyer by profession, and until recently a spokeswoman for the Bat Yam Municipality; above) had to come to terms with the fact that we are moving four children to a whole new reality. "
What role would he leave you in the country?
" I do not know if there was one, and in any case, not offices held by the Likud. I was interested in education, but when I met with the prime minister we did not know if it would be in the hands of the Likud. Beyond education, I am interested in foreign affairs and defense, of course, but they are not in the hands of the Likud.
"The prime minister invited me first to meet with him. It was pretty clear that Israel Katz was going to be finance minister, so Netanyahu had no reason to meet with him. Netanyahu knew that I had been debating the position at the UN for years, and he was also in trouble, of course. He said to me: 'Tell me what you want. If you want to be a senior minister, you will be. But if you're seriously considering the United Nations, I'm willing to offer you something that has not been the case for 60 years, since the days of Father Stone. Both the United Nations and Washington.
"I am an executive. I wanted to know for sure that I would have an opportunity for significant action. The role of ambassador to Washington is promising, and I felt it was time to fulfill a wish in the arena of international diplomacy."
Is this a wish?
"Absolutely. From childhood I have a desire to fight for Israel's justice in the world. In 1985, when I was a student at Yeshivat Netiv Meir in Jerusalem, Haim Herzog came to visit us. He then served as president and used to visit high schools and speak to students. I really remember him telling us with his eyes. Sparkling as he stood on the UN podium in 1975 and delivered his memorable speech ahead of the vote on the decision to declare Zionism a form of racism.
"As an Ashkelon boy, a boarding school student from the Nikki Nikki school, I dreamed of 'being in politics,' but I did not think I had a great chance. The plan was to work as a lawyer, make some money, and then try to get involved in politics. "The
dream was politics or diplomacy?
" As a teenager I never dreamed of being the Minister of Environmental Protection. "What I envisioned was a heroic struggle for Israel in the international arena."
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Arden will live with his family in New York, in an apartment used by all Israeli ambassadors to the UN, since Haim Herzog served in the 1970s. Its location, 82nd Street on Fifth Avenue, is one of Manhattan's most marvelous — adjacent to the Metropolitan Museum and the heart of Central Park. The noise of the city and the soot clouds looming over the tunnels of the subway tunnels.When he arrives he will undergo corona tests, and only if the results are negative will he be allowed to enter the office building at 42nd Street, which serves the delegation to the UN and the Israeli consulate in New York.
"In the first few days after I arrive in New York, I will submit my charter to the UN Secretary-General, and from that moment on I will begin my duties at the UN," he says. "It may be submitted in a zoom, unfortunately."
On January 20, after the US election. " In, Arden will replace Ron Drummer as Israel's ambassador to Washington. At the moment, his appointment to the position is for one year only. "After a year, Bnei Gantz is supposed to become prime minister, and he will be able to decide whether I continue or not, because it is his right to place his man. It is on the assumption that he will indeed be prime minister."
Assuming? I mean, could he not be prime minister?
"My conclusion with Netanyahu is that as long as he is prime minister, I will fill both positions, at the UN and in Washington. I think and believe that Netanyahu will continue to serve as prime minister beyond next year. "
How will you combine the two roles?
"In a lot of hard work. I am used to holding positions. In 2009 I was the Minister of Environmental Protection and the liaison minister between the government and the Knesset. In 2013 the Minister of Home Front Defense and the Minister of Communications, and in 2015 the Minister of Internal Security and Minister of Strategic Affairs.
" For both roles, it makes sense. Technically, the distance between New York and Washington is unimaginable. Four hours drive in total. If I leave Manhattan at 6 in the morning, I'll be in Washington by 10 in the morning. On the way I can work on the phone and on the computer. Father Stone could not do that in the 1950s.
"There will be nights that I will stay to sleep in Washington, and I will not return to the family in New York. This is another reason why the decision had to be made at the family level. There is mobilization here on Shlomit's part, otherwise it would have been impossible."
What will be the main issues you will be dealing with?
"I assume the corona will continue to be a priority, in both arenas, but at the same time there are issues with existential implications for Israel.
" The Iran issue is about to reach a critical point. The arms embargo on Iran, as part of the agreement signed by Obama, is set to expire on October 18. If that happens, Iran could buy advanced aircraft and submarines. The U.S. is trying to extend the embargo, but it will likely run into difficulties in the Security Council. The Russians have announced they are considering vetoing the embargo extension, so a very significant controversy could erupt.
"Lee, as ambassador to the UN of Iran's most threatened country, will have a job "It is significant and important to explain to the world the need to impose sanctions, in order to stop Iran's intensification and its constant run for nuclear weapons."
Did you receive instructions from the Prime Minister to promote the application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria?
"Not yet, but the prime minister is committed to the issue. The corona and US elections have delayed the process, not removed it from the agenda. I have been an ardent supporter of the application of sovereignty, for many years. I agreed with the Prime Minister that things should be done in coordination and agreement with the United States.
How does this reconcile with your stated opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state?
"I have always opposed a Palestinian state, in the conventional sense of a state, and I still oppose. The Trump plan does not establish such a state. It actually accepts all our demands and only states that we will then agree to discuss the nature of the Palestinian entity.
" Prime Minister Netanyahu was right in supporting the century plan. The Palestinians must give up the right of return, bring about an end to incitement, the dismantling of Hamas and another series of measures, after which it will be possible to debate whether it will be autonomy, a minus state and so on.
"When making a sober assessment of the plan and of the Palestinians' reluctant and racist conduct, in cooperation with some Westerners in Israel, it is clear that the only part that is likely to materialize is the application of sovereignty, which we have dreamed of for years.
What is your model for ambassador?
"I can not draw a formula, and it would be quite arrogant on my part to draw a model for the ambassador before I took office. But I hold a concept relevant to my entire political life: to be on the offensive and not defensive. To maintain stateliness, respectfully represent the government and state. Always prefer to be in the offensive position.
”This was my line also as a minister for strategic issues. All boycotts against Israel and the BDS actions are hypocrisy and spreading lies. We published reports exposing terrorist organizations behind the BDS activities of civil society, and statements by BDS leaders that exposed clear anti-Semitic views. When Airbnb wanted to boycott Judea and Samaria, we worked with Jewish and pro-Israel organizations and with US governors announcing that they would boycott The company, and it withdrew from the delusional decision.These are just a few examples.
"In this spirit, I intend to promote a permanent campaign at the UN, aimed at dismantling UNRWA. This is one of the biggest obstacles to calming the region, which is sinful for its role, and is a disaster for peace. I do not oppose the treatment of Palestinian refugees. : Promise to be properly absorbed into the countries in which they are located. President Trump has stopped funding UNRWA, and rightly so. "
The Jewish voice in the United States is for the most part democratic, and like the Democratic Party, does not spare criticism from Israel.
"Only small sections of the Democratic Party are critical of Israel. Its mainstream supports Israel, and only recently have they reaffirmed security assistance to Israel, in a very difficult period. Recent discussions of the party's platform have raised extreme initiatives, such as cutting aid to Israel in the event of annexation. Rejected by a large majority.
"I will know how to work with the same efficiency and dedication in front of both parties. With the Democrats, I have a deep and significant launching point - dealing with environmental protection. "
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The sorting and packaging work of his life leading up to the move to the U.S. summoned Arden to look at some major events at his political stations. A bundle of yellow pages torn from a leaflet reminded him of the drama that took place shortly after taking office in 2015 when he sought to appoint Brigadier General (Res. ') Gal Hirsch to the Commissioner of Police and failed.
"I received the police in a state of low confidence in the public towards her. Half of the extras withdrew from it because of a series of embarrassing affair. Like me, the organization itself understood that if there was a right time to bring in a commissioner from outside, it was time. I was very impressed with Gal Hirsch and the plans he presented to me. I knew there were allegations against him during the Second Lebanon War, and I still thought he was wronged. "For the job, these are the only allegations that were known about him. Only after I announced his appointment, more things were opened."
On the yellow pages is a record of Arden's meeting with four retired IDF generals - Doron Almog, Yoram Yair (Yaya), Elazar Stern and Pinchas Buharis. The four asked to meet with Arden urgently. "They wanted to flatten my claims against Gal Hirsch, in context For the Second Lebanon War, "says Arden, and reads from one of the pages." Almog: You have to weigh everything we told you, you may find yourself with Report A and Reality B.
"Because of the public storm that arose, I had to study all the history of the Second Lebanon War and the functioning of the IDF. In front of the critics were also people like Boogie Ya'alon, Bnei Gantz and Gadi Izenkot, who highly recommended him.
"I am ready to accept what I was told in the prosecutor's office, that before a person is appointed commissioner, he should be checked. What is most serious and shocking is that if there have been lawsuits or complaints against him in the past and it has been decided that they are not serious enough to deal with, then either you say 'we are not touching it now', or you say 'there are claims in the system that require investigation, and we devote all resources to Perform the required tests quickly and efficiently so that the system can function.
"Five years have passed, and not everything is over yet. The decision-making processes were shockingly slow. We started with suspicions of bribery, and today we are suspected of tax offenses. Gal Hirsch did a great injustice. On the last day of my tenure in office, I called for the case to be closed."
The appointment of Roni Alshikh began with satisfaction and ended in a confrontation and your decision not to extend his term.
"Roni Alshikh was an agreed-upon appointment of the prime minister and mine, approved by the government. No one disagreed with his abilities. The police in his time had important reforms and achievements, and we also had many difficult disagreements, for example regarding Superintendent Roni Rittman, who was questioned on suspicion of harassment. Sexuality of a police officer. Alshikh acted to keep him in office, but I was not prepared for such a heavy cloud to hover over the head of a blade unit. They wanted to transfer him to another position, and I refused to put him in other positions until further notice. He realized that it would take a very long time for him to play any real role, so he finally left. This is one of those unpleasant episodes I had to deal with.
"Unfortunately, Alshikh's public and media involvement in the investigation of politicians in general, and the prime minister in particular, was a very big mistake, which caused damage, in many ways. In the public involvement in issues that the ombudsman, not the commissioner, is authorized to decide, Alshikh puts the police at the forefront. "Exposed to unnecessary attacks."
For almost two years, the police and the IPS have been in charge.
"I'm not excited about that. The Deputy Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner of Prisons have all the powers under the law. There is no difference between a deputy and a permanent, except in terms of budget planning. Because last year and this year there is no state budget, so even if there were permanent commissioners squared, it was not possible to plan "A long-term budget. This is an empty media discussion of those who are trying in every way to attack me and the prime minister."
You tried to appoint Chico Edri, who was the director general of the Ministry of Homeland Security, as commissioner, and you were unsuccessful. This was the second time your candidate has been disqualified by the Civil Service Advisory Committee.
"The one who needs to explain why there is no commissioner today is not me, but Judge Goldberg, the committee chairman. The candidate I presented was not a Likud activist close to me. It was Chico Edri, a veteran and senior police officer, Jerusalem district commander, district commander. Tel Aviv, a fighter against terrorism and crime, who was very good for any position, until I presented his candidacy for commissioner.
"If officers have served for decades, have not been charged or convicted and were fit to serve in the most senior positions, then the legal echelon should back them up even when they are nominated for the post of commissioner - unless there is sharp, clear and new evidence that requires disqualification. This was not the case with Edri or Hirsch. The whole issue of appointments and the legal saga that accompanies them is a grave injustice and the application of unfair standards to public servants. "
In Edri's case - a meeting with a lawyer representing a complainant against him and a meeting with the polygraph examiner, the day before the examination.
" These are trifles. Edri asked to meet with the lawyer. There is and has not been any claim regarding the quality of the polygraph test. Are these things that disqualify a person for commissioners? It should also be remembered that two members of the committee voted in favor of Edri's candidacy and two against, including Judge Goldberg, who exercised his right to a double vote.
"The government has set up an advisory committee to help candidates for public service. But this committee has become a committee that legally thwarts the appointments and prevents the government from taking action. Despite the equality of votes in the committee, the ombudsman approved bringing Edri's appointment to the government's decision, and then Edri decided to withdraw his candidacy because of the commotion that arose.
"I then received approval from the ombudsman to nominate candidates for commissioner, even though it was during the third election campaign. This time I presented three candidates - Moti Cohen, Alon Ashur and Doron Yadid, thinking that if a problem arises with one candidate again, the appointment process will not be disrupted and he will be able to continue with the permit. But then the judge decided he was not willing for more than one candidacy to be submitted.
"Therefore, the main reason why there is currently no permanent commissioner for the Israel Police is the delusional standards that appointments review committees, such as the Goldberg Commission, apply to officers who have served for decades with great success. My lesson is that the government needs to reduce, and in some cases completely abolish, these committees, and take full responsibility for the appointments. "
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What have you achieved in your five years as Minister of Internal Security?
"I am especially proud of the police victory over the terror of the individuals. I took office in May 2015, and in September, on New Year's Eve, the first attack took place, followed by hundreds of attacks. To my delight, they may have forgotten a particularly violent year of knife attacks, trampling, shooting.
" And the police do not get the appreciation they deserve, because they do not have the positioning of the Ministry of Defense, which fights the enemy. They work in enforcement against the citizens of the country and are in constant friction with them, but in recent years they are the ones who are at the forefront of the fight against terrorism. We lost many policemen and women, more than IDF soldiers.
"Here, too, my attitude was offensive and not defensive. We eased the opening fire regulations to deal with pests, outlawed the Morabiton and the Morabitat (Islamic Movement) on the Temple Mount, the Jerusalem District received tremendous reinforcement, set minimum penalties for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, developed tools for combating incitement in networks and identifying profile profiles.
"Today, Jerusalem is one of the safest places in the Western world. The entire city is networked with advanced facial recognition cameras and smart technologies. The response speed is 20-15 seconds per attempted attack. Standards were added, police salaries were raised, new police stations were set up. There were only three police stations within Arab localities. Today there are 11 ".
And yet, a year ago, the leaders of Arab society in Israel went out in protest against the government and the police, in the face of rising crime and murders. They declared a complete loss of trust in the Israeli police, and said that the police treat the Arab public as enemies.
"Who protested and came out with such statements? Ayman Odeh, who participates in demonstrations of solidarity with Hamas? Only in the State of Israel can the media take a person like Odeh, who is an enemy of the state, who identifies with the worst of our enemies who want our destruction, and give him such a big and wide stage.
" Of neglect, which among other things means a tremendous lack of governance of the state, do not close within a few years. In addition, there is nothing to do, these are also cultural norms of Arab society. Instead of blaming only us, the Arab leadership will take responsibility and begin to delegitimize murders based on primitive norms against women. Otherwise it will not change. 70-60 percent of homicides in general, and homicides of women in particular, occur in the Arab sector.
"So of course I, as a minister, have to ask myself difficult questions, and of course there is a responsibility on the part of the government. But the Arab leadership must also ask itself difficult questions and do something about it. Let them not just say 'collect the weapons' a thousand times. When they report - and they know Where there are illegal weapons - it will be real change and taking responsibility.
"To change norms, leadership is needed to start denouncing violence against women and the use of live ammunition, and start cooperating, which is an expression they hate, but as citizens they must cooperate. It is easiest to escape their responsibility by pointing the finger at me as a Minister of Internal Security.
"In this case, too, most citizens, including in Arab society, know the truth. Including that, unfortunately, Arab society is a very violent society. Not all of it, but the norms are different. The speed with which weapons are disputed is different."
In your five years as Minister of Internal Security you have been in an almost impossible position at the political level. You were responsible for an organization that investigates the prime minister and strong figures in the Likud, such as David Bitan and Haim Katz, and they, for their part, direct harsh and constant criticism at the police.
"It is true that I was quite a bit between a rock and a hard place. Unfortunately, I was not able to promote an initiative, which in my opinion is extremely important, to exclude the investigation of elected officials from the police. After all, the only one authorized to decide whether to investigate is a minister, MK or mayor. I did not succeed, because Moshe Kahlon and his party, who were scales, opposed any intervention or change in police activity.
"I realized very quickly that the police enjoy too much freedom of action, especially in everyday areas. As a minister, I am very limited by law in my ability to force the police to do things or change priorities, and on the other hand, the commissioner has excessive powers. "
Should the powers of the Minister of Internal Security be expanded?
"Unequivocally. Over the years there have been those who have argued that this is how the minister may interfere in investigations. But investigations of elected officials are a total comma from police work. Out of 33,000 police officers, how many are involved in investigating politicians? 200-100 at most.
" About 99 percent of the police have work orders. A minister could not get the police to act more in the area of gender-based violence, for example.
"I had a constant confrontation with the police, when I asked to see the segments of wiretapping. I asked to see how many of them were intended for surveillance of violent men and some for surveillance of politicians, without getting into one file or another. Just understand the resource routing and priorities. It is not given to me. Only the commissioner is the authority, there is no factor over him, nor is there an audit body. At most, the State Comptroller can compile a report, which is toothless.
"I told Ayelet Shaked, when she was the Minister of Justice, and State Attorney Shai Nitzan, you will completely remove this issue from the police. Take the handful of investigators involved, and set up a unit in the Justice Department to investigate elected officials, or to investigate public corruption. "As there is a DIP, which is also subordinate to the Ministry of Justice. Leave the protection of civilian security and the fight against crime to the police. There is enough work. But it did not happen."
As someone who was caught between a rock and a hard place, did you not ask Netanyahu to curb criticism of the police? It obscured the achievements of the police. Your achievements are kosher.
"I am a minister in the Netanyahu-led government, who feels he has serious allegations against the police regarding the investigations into his case. His right to express them. He in no way directed the allegations against all Israeli police officers, and also gave me backing for additional budgets and powers for the police. Arabs and thanked the police on many occasions. "
In the last Likud primaries, unlike those before them, you did not finish in first place on the list.
"I was elected in the first trio. Before I left for the United States, I held ten conferences to say goodbye to Likud activists and activists. Unfortunately, they were very limited, in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health. Had it not been for the Corona, I would have hosted at least another 15 conferences, with many more participants, and personally said goodbye to thousands of people who were dear to me. I wanted to look each and every one of them in the eye, to make it clear that I am going on a mission of life, but that they will have no doubt: I'll be back. "
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