'Stop shaking the coalition': Coalition leaders slam Ben-Gvir for opposing critical bill
Coalition members, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, criticized Ben-Gvir's decision to vote against the critical tax bill.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attends a plenum session on the state budget in the assembly hall of the Israeli parliament, December 16, 2024.(photo credit: CHAIM GOLDBEG/FLASH90)
Several coalition members, including party leaders, criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's decision on Tuesday to vote against a critical tax bill that will be part of the 2025 budget.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had been in the hospital and came to the Knesset against his doctor's recommendations in order to be present at the vote, stated, "I expect all coalition members, including Minister Ben-Gvir, to stop shaking the coalition and risking the existence of a right-wing government at this critical moment in Israel's history. It is possible and necessary to bridge the gaps in the coalition without shaking it, and that is what we will do."
"There is no greater act of irresponsible folly than shaking the coalition at this time or risking the downfall of a right-wing government."
"Contrary to claims, the Israel Police received significant budget increases in the past two years—and rightly so. Also, in the 2025 budget, the budget for the National Security Ministry has increased significantly," Netanyahu said.
"Today, despite the challenges, we passed important budgetary legislation for Israel's security and economy," the prime minister's statement concluded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen in the Knesset plenum ahead of a budget vote, December 31, 2024 (credit: FLASH90/CHAIM GOLDBERG)
Ben-Gvir responds to coalition controversy
Ben-Gvir responded after the vote, saying, "I know many of you are asking yourselves, why is Ben-Gvir voting against the coalition? Why is he against the budget?"
The minister blamed Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for bringing Netanyahu from the hospital to the Knesset, stating, "It pained me greatly to see Finance Minister Smotrich drag the prime minister—whom we all love—out of his sickbed, simply because of ego and his refusal to engage in any negotiations with me, despite pleas and appeals from the prime minister’s associates."
Netanyahu commended Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, saying that he "has been steering Israel's economy through the longest and most expensive war in Israel's history in a responsible and professional manner."
'Remembered with disgrace'
After the bill was passed, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated, "Unfortunately, Minister Ben-Gvir chose to harm the prime minister, drag him from his sickbed, and jeopardize the government's stability and the economy for spins and baseless fabrications."
"What Itamar Ben-Gvir did today will be remembered with disgrace. He forced the prime minister out of the hospital, despite the doctors' objections, because of vile politics. He sits in the Knesset plenum facing the prime minister, sees him, and isn’t even willing to offset his vote," a senior coalition member stated, according to Israeli media.
"Ben-Gvir is addicted to headlines, changing the reason for his opposition every hour. Countless compromises on the 2025 budget were offered to him, and he rejected them all. The damages caused to the coalition and the right-wing government are on his shoulders," the senior official stated.
Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman addressed Ben-Gvir on X/Twitter, writing, "A message to Itamar Ben-Gvir: Fine, you decided to join Ayman Odeh and Ahmad Tibi and vote against the government."
פניה לאיתמר בן גביר.
מילא החלטת לחבור לאיימן עודה ולאחמד טיבי, ולהצביע נגד הממשלה.
אבל לפחות תן שני קיזוזים. אחד לראש הממשלה, שאחרי ניתוח ואחד לביסמוט שיסיים לשבת שבעה על אמו כמו בן אדם.
מבטיחים להישאר איתך כאן בכנסת עד סוף ההצבעה. לעולם לא תצעד לבד.
— שמחה רוטמן - Simcha Rothman (@rothmar) December 31, 2024
"But at least allow two offsets: one for the prime minister, who is recovering from surgery, and one for Bismuth so he can finish mourning his mother like a human being."
"We promise to stay here with you in the Knesset until the end of the vote. You will never walk alone," Rothman said.
Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen, who was initially reported to vote against the bill and eventually voted in favor, wrote on X/Twitter, "It is unacceptable to pull the prime minister out of his sickbed against his doctors' advice, causing him significant physical pain, and to interrupt MK Boaz Bismuth during his mourning for his mother, with his shirt still torn, all because of an inability to reach agreements within the coalition."
לא ייתכן שמוציאים את ראש הממשלה ממיטת חוליו בניגוד להמלצת רופאיו תוך כאב פיזי משמעותי, ואת ח״כ בועז ביסמוט מקימים משבעה על אימו בעוד חולצתו קרועה, רק בגלל אי יכולת להגיע להסכמות בקואליציה. אני מסרב לטלטל את קואליציית הימין ולהגיש לאחים המוסלמים את הכתר. ולכן הצבעתי בעד התקציב.…
"I refuse to destabilize the right-wing coalition and hand the crown to the Muslim Brotherhood. Therefore, I voted in favor of the budget," Cohen stated.
Likud MK Dan Illouz criticized Ben-Gvir's decision in a post to X/Twitter. "Ben-Gvir opened a rich and luxurious salad bar for the opposition."
"[MK Ahmad] Tibi's smile says it all," Illouz wrote.
Chairman of the Religious Zionism faction, MK Ohad Tal, criticized Ben-Gvir's vote against the bill, saying, "He is joining forces with [MK Ayman] Odeh and [MK Ahmad] Tibi to dismantle the right-wing government. It's time to part ways."
