Debate between David Bitan and Moshe Gafni at the Economy Committee, April 30, 2023 (Knesset channel)
Likud MK David Bitan published defamatory text messages last winter about Iki Cohen, a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The dissemination of the text messages, according to which, among other things, Cohen leaked information to journalist Ben Caspit, was done following the battles of the party primaries, when Cohen allegedly acted on Netanyahu's behalf against Bitan and the candidates he ran in the districts. This was reported Tuesday evening by Amit Segal on Channel 12 News.
Following the anonymous text messages received by Likud activists during the coalition negotiations, Cohen petitioned the court to order the cellular company that distributed the messages to instruct who was behind them. Last week, the request was received, and the company's response was that Bitan ordered the messages.
MK David Bitan. Chairman of the Economy Committee (Photo: Knesset Spokesperson, Noam Moshkovitz)
The messages themselves read, among other things: "Iki Cohen, how long will you continue to leak mercury to Ben? How long will there continue to be Gideon Sa'ar's mole in Netanyahu's office? I wonder when Ben Caspit will start reporting on Yair and Sarah? Before or after you get a job."
A day after the publication of MK Tali Gottlieb, who allegedly came from Cohen in text messages, he reported financially that Cohen was a candidate to be director general of the Knesset. "The staffing of Gideon Sa'ar, who infiltrated Netanyahu's office, intends to occupy the Knesset, and from there the sky is the limit. In the Knesset, he will have access to sensitive information and everything will be leaked to Ben Caspian. Bibi has all the signs in front of you, send him back to the hole he came out of," the text messages read. In the end, Cohen left Netanyahu's office and did not get the job.
Bitan, who recently came out strongly against Netanyahu, among other things against the background of his conduct regarding the legal revolution and the cost of living, said in response that he was not familiar with the issue.
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- David Bitan
- Benjamin Netanyahu
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