The election is still far away, but it is already clear that Minister Eli Avidar has apparently ended his political path in the Yisrael Beiteinu party.
Avidar's name came to public attention when it was first reported in "Israel Today" that Avidar refused to serve as a minister in the Ministry of Finance during the distribution of portfolios ahead of the formation of the government and even threatened to vote independently.
Avidar then told his associates: "From now on the faction has six MKs and one independent MK."
Today (Monday) Zeev Kam from the corporation released a recording of a closed conversation, in which Avidar blatantly talks about Lieberman: "Lieberman offered me the position of minister in the Ministry of Finance. I burst out laughing. I told him thank you very much. "You would give two offices to Oded Forer and leave me the connection with the OECD. So at least do not work on me, you have not got a reputation as a liar to this day."
Avidar also said in the recording: "I deserve to be a minister more than 99% of the ministers sitting there," and also referred to the coalition's criticism of his opposition to Norwegian law.
According to him, if one accepts the coalition's claims, one can say that there are a number of other incumbent ministers who have "blackmailed" it into their needs.
Lieberman with Avidar in the plenum, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Following this, senior party officials estimated that Avidar had ended his term in the party and that the party's chairman, Lieberman, was not expected to include him on the list in the next election. The post of intelligence minister that Elazar Stern remains in will vote against the budget. Lieberman replied, "I am not worried about anything.
We will pass a budget, we will pass smoothly without any problems.
Although we will keep all the 'rules of the genre' - dramas, conflicts and an ultimatum, but in the end it will pass. "
Lieberman added on the recording: "I grew up on the values of the Betar citrus, I never record neither myself nor others and certainly do not leak to the media.
Eli Avidar decided to go his own way and I wish him success. "
Avidar himself tried to minimize damage and said yesterday that "whoever recorded me two months ago and made sure to leak the recording today, did so to create a renewed conflict with Minister Lieberman. As much as it depends on me, it will not happen. Appreciate him and thanks to him I am in politics; "The many protests have been unbridgeable disagreements between us. I am concentrating on the public service and promoting the values we fought for from within the government, and I will continue to do so in any case."
