MK Merav Cohen (Yesh Atid), former minister of social equality, who was a guest on "Added Value," the economic podcast of Israel Hayom, did not spare harsh criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government.
MK Merav Cohen, Photo: Noam Moshkovitz, Knesset Spokesperson's Office
"This is a government that is not good, that does not provide service to the State of Israel, that does not protect our soldiers in the best way, that does not provide civilian service to the home front," she said, "As long as the state camp with their 12 seats is there inside, I don't see the possibility of a change of government.
It is also based on the conversations we have with people from the Likud, who find it very difficult, who are ashamed, who have scruples, but they say: 'What do you want from us, first of all for your part to leave the coalition, and then talk to us, you expect us to come out against the party, our political home, even before you do the minimum on your part.'"
Netanyahu, photo: Netanyahu at the Cabinet meeting, today
Could it be that if you had entered the government, things would have been better? Gantz has only strengthened in the number of seats since he took office.
"There are no surprises here, obviously politically, we knew that being an opposition in wartime was unpopular - all the media channels were full of polls showing how the public wanted unity, and obviously entering the government was the popular thing to do, we wanted to give the public that unity, but what we were offered was not unity, but decoration. Yair Lapid decided that he was not lying in his soul in order to become popular.
"We think that Netanyahu is not the right leader for Israel – even in the whole process that led us to this low point – his policy vis-à-vis Hamas, the tremendous division he created among the people, and even today we think that he is not behaving well and unprofessionally – he briefs against the army, does not bring a vision for the day after, government ministries do not function, operate the poison machine and more.
Photo: Sonia Goroditsky hosts MK Merav Cohen
But, the time is so difficult that we still said, 'OK, move the extremists aside, give tools, but that's not what was proposed. Yair Lapid was offered to enter the cabinet without the ability to influence decisions, in effect being a kind of observer of someone you don't believe in. It wasn't the right thing. We believe in the army, we will give it all the backing, but we will not lie in our souls and say that this conduct is normal. I will only mention that Menachem Begin, a great leader, reached a similar conclusion, that he cannot be the fig leaf of the government, which in his opinion is not good for the State of Israel."
But to say about the prime minister that he is incompetent, what message does that send to our enemies?
"First of all, being an opposition in wartime is not trivial, and you have to weigh words, and that's not a simple position. Before I think about our enemies, I think about the parents whose child is on the battlefield, they deserve a cabinet that doesn't mow with each other, they deserve the chief of staff to feel that he has backing, they deserve a cabinet that doesn't leak itself to know, they deserve a prime minister who knows that all they care about is the welfare of their child who is on the battlefield. And I don't think that's the case.
Putin, Photo: AP
We are not Russia that needs to whitewash reality so that leader Putin will feel that everything is perfect, we are the State of Israel and the opposition's job is to tell the truth, and we tell the truth."
"A woman from Sderot or Ofakim"
Referring to Galant's problematic remark about "a woman from Sderot or Ofakim," Cohen said: "I'm sure he didn't intend to hurt anyone, but this statement, made in passing, reflects the inner truth. There are perceptions that need to pass from the world, and it's our job as women to make that happen, and that's the tip of the iceberg – a misplaced statement. But in the end, it is expressed in the fact that the observers come and say that they see activity on the fence, that something big is on the way, and do not listen to them, because they are women.
And even now, when they make the commission of inquiry that will examine the great military failure, there are no women there. It's as if we've learned nothing.
Even in the government there are not enough ministers, there are not enough female Knesset members, and in the end, beyond fairness and gender equality, in the end it leads to a mechanism for making wrong decisions. Why? Because diversity is important. Because different perspectives of different people are important, because that's how you break concepts."
Galant hosted a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Photo: Shahar Yurman
As a former minister for social equality, what do you say about Shikli's move? And do you think this is an unnecessary office?
"I had the privilege of working in the Ministry for Social Equality, whose infrastructure was established in 2006, for almost two years for all discriminated against and excluded populations. We had a unit for senior citizens, for the ultra-Orthodox, for Arabs, women, LGBT people. We did first-rate social work. This government came and dismantled and assembled, transferred the Holocaust survivors and the ultra-Orthodox to the Prime Minister's Office, the separated women to an independent ministry, the senior citizens transferred to the Negev and Galilee.
With Shikli, the Arab unit and the LGBT unit remained, meaning that the ministry has already been dismantled, so it doesn't matter anymore, it's not the same rationale. In the end, too many government ministries create awkwardness because it's hard to coordinate between everyone, we also sinned in this."
Holocaust survivors outside
Cohen also serves as chair of the special committee for the treatment of Holocaust survivors. Regarding Aryeh Deri's food stamps, she said: "First of all, it's a blessing that the government brought money to the food stamps. Even before the war, 30% of families in Israel suffered from food insecurity, compared with 7% in OECD countries. It is good and proper that they brought a budget for this purpose. But in execution they worked on us. According to the criteria, the coupons go to those who are eligible to receive a property tax discount, that is, they are automatically distributed to families with many children. This leaves out Holocaust survivors, single mothers and others.
Frustrated. Deri during the coalition negotiations, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
I am not against giving assistance to an ultra-Orthodox child, a hungry child is a child, but it cannot be that only one group is cared for, and the data presented by the Ministry of Finance show that there are Haredi families who do not suffer from food insecurity and received and other families who do suffer – did not receive. It's not worthy. The Food Security Council made recommendations on how to amend the criteria, and also said that in light of the war, the situation is deteriorating."
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