The former justice minister added, "She was scared and did not want me to join the Likud. When we did not pass the threshold, my plan was to run for Likud and to support the party. Miri Regev was the one who approached senior Likud officials and she said she didn't want that to happen. If she hadn't said things on air I would have held back, but she spoke and so I am responding.""There are differences between the Right and the Likud," the right-wing party chairwoman continued. "I want to establish a right-wing government. I want to have 61 seats. If we do not have a double-digit number of seats, the Likud will form a government with the Left. To anyone who sees himself as right-wing, I say you should vote right-wing. True, our politicians are a bit hot-tempered, but all in all, these are very serious people who work very hard for the public in Israel."Asked whom her party would recommend to be prime minister after the next election, Shaked said: "We would recommend Netanyahu because he is the head of the Right. But anyone who wants a right-wing government – and believes in a liberal economy without workers' committees and monopolies – should vote for us, because we are effective and value-conscious politicians."Commenting on the expected appointments of the state comptroller, she said, "Judge Sarah Frisch is a wonderful woman, and does an excellent job. I know Judge Nechama Munitz as well. She is an honest and serious woman. I think they are excellent appointments."When asked if this will allow Netanyahu to receive funding for his trial, Shaked answered, "His defense costs a lot of money. I don't see a problem in financing his defense. By the way, I said this before, even when it was the previous committee."At the same time, Shaked did not shy away from criticizing the socio-economic plan of the Labor Party, saying that "the plan is dangerous. If [Labor leader Amir] Peretz is finance minister, we could deteriorate to the state of Venezuela. We came from the private market and that's the difference between [Naftali] Bennett and Peretz, who comes from politics and the Histadrut (trade union)."A lot of politicians do not come from the private sector and they do not understand the great difficulties and challenges that entrepreneurs and business owners have," she continued. "So his plan is beautiful on paper, but detached from reality. It is impossible to give gifts all the time, when budget increases come from the pockets of citizens. He wants to raise the minimum wage by 30% – how would he do it without raising prices and firing employees? It is impossible; it is certainly dangerous."Shaked was then asked if she could envisage a coalition where Peretz has a role. She responded, "I say that Peretz as finance minister is something that can put Israel in a similar state as Venezuela, and it is dangerous for the Israeli economy. I really hope we become big, strong and significant, and that we can establish a coalition of 61. Listen, the finance portfolio is an important and significant portfolio, and it is one of the biggest challenges the government will face: to deal with a huge deficit, which is a challenge that both Bennett and I will be willing to accept."Alex Winston translated this story from Maariv.Catfight: @regev_miri says @Ayelet__Shaked begged to join Likud. Shaked says Regev introduced opportunism to Israeli politics when she debated between joining Labor or Likud and that Regev tried to block her from joining Likud out of fear. @GLZRadio
— Gil Hoffman (@Gil_Hoffman) August 13, 2019
Ayelet Shaked: Regev didn't want me to join the Likud
The former justice minister spoke out on Army Radio against Regev and the idea of Labor Party leader Amir Peretz as finance minister.
