Deputy Finance Minister MK Michal Waldiger announced her resignation from her position on Thursday, with the aim of transferring her ministry's funds to the fight against Hamas in the "Iron Swords" war.
In a post on her social media pages, Waldiger, a Knesset member for Religious Zionism, wrote that "the world of all of us has changed beyond recognition," referring to the massacre carried out by Hamas terrorists against residents of the south and the Gaza envelope on October 7. "Priorities have changed and life is not like yesterday. More than 1,400 people, women, the elderly and children have been brutally slaughtered, more than 220 have been kidnapped to Gaza, and there are thousands of wounded, some physically, some mentally and some both."
"Hamas's barbaric, murderous and cruel attack completely changed the reality of the State of Israel. Many questions resonate in the minds of all Israeli citizens – how did this happen, where was the army, where was the intelligence, where was the political echelon, where was the state? All this must be clarified, and it will become clear at the end of the just war that we are in the midst of. Anyone who played a part in the failure will have to be held accountable. Until then, we must unite and concentrate on one thing – winning," she added. "A clear military victory, not stuttering, not 'as if,' not a 'deterrent' victory, but a clear and crushing victory over the Nazi organization that rose to kill us in our country. We are commanded to restore a sense of security and quiet to all residents of Israel."
Am Yisrael,
On the seventh of October, the world of all of us changed beyond recognition. Priorities have changed and life is not like yesterday. Over 1,400 people, women, the elderly and children have been brutally slaughtered, over 220 have been abducted to Gaza, and there are thousands of wounded, some physically and some mentally and some both.
Hamas' barbaric, murderous and cruel attack... pic.twitter.com/4JE2WyMKrB
— Michal Voldiger (@michalwoldiger) October 26, 2023
"I believe that the military victory and the restoration of security and quiet will not be possible without the victory of the spirit and without assistance and treatment of the problems and challenges currently encountered by tens of thousands of Israeli citizens. The resilience of the citizens of the state, and certainly of the residents of the envelope and of the security forces, must receive – and will receive – top priority."
"I see and hear the public, its pain, the loss of trust in the various state systems, the enormous damage to resilience, and it is clear to me that my mission, certainly at this time, is to rebuild trust. To give citizens the feeling that they are being seen, that they are being counted, that they are important and necessary, and that they have someone to rely on," she wrote. "It is clear to me that at this time, I am committed to directing and directing all my energy and time to strengthening social resilience, improving the mental health system, providing individual and general assistance to families, and increasing my presence in the field and citizens – and this I will be able to do better as a regular Knesset member, and without ministerial involvement in the Ministry of Finance."
Documentation of the assassination of Hamas terrorists in Gaza, today // Photo: IDF Spokesperson
Voldiger went on to write that all systems in Israel "must prioritize and channel all existing resources for war efforts – the Ministry of Finance, as a leading and important ministry, should set an example for this, and therefore I turned to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, shared my thoughts with him, and informed him of the termination of my position as Deputy Minister of Finance, while directing the resources allocated to my office for the campaign."
"I and we still have a lot to do in the Ministry of Finance, and until three weeks ago I worked on promoting programs and projects in a number of civilian areas, but as I said, at this time I feel that I must be somewhere else and from there continue to help and work for the people of Israel," she concluded. "This is my mission, and I promise to continue to fulfill it from the Knesset, to work from there with all my strength and energy for the war effort, for the sake of victory and to help all those who were injured in body and soul to rise up and rehabilitate and restore faith in the state's systems. This is my promise to the public, this is my promise to my family, this is my promise to myself."
In response to her resignation, Smotrich also issued a statement, in which he wrote that as part of her role, Waldiger "worked extensively to promote mental health and the fields of health and well-being in general, and did sacred work. Michal is a professional soul player with absolutely no ego, and her sense that she will now benefit more than the Knesset is understandable and commendable. I am confident that Michal will continue her important work from within the Knesset for the benefit of all citizens of Israel."
Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, photo: Paul Jonathan Zindel/Flash90
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