The Likud’s spokesperson responded sharply to Barkat.
“Nir Barkat is expected to treat the high cost of living and not search for excuses to topple a right-wing government during the war,” the spokesperson said.
Barkat responded soon afterward with a statement of his own.
“The State of Israel is in one of the most difficult hours in its history, and my duty is to express my principles, which reflect those of a majority of the Likud. If someone is interested in attacking a Likud minister over the principle of the importance of IDF service in wartime, it is best that he use his name and not that of the Likud. Israel needs more soldiers in order to win the war. Without victory, there is no state and no Torah,” Barkat said.
The coalition enjoys a 9-7 majority in the Knesset Constitution Committee, in which the bill was set to be put to a vote.
However, two Likud MKs, Tally Gotliv and Moshe Sa’ada, announced earlier this week that they would vote against the bill, thus removing the coalition’s majority. Katz on Tuesday removed Gotliv and Sa’ada as members of the committee in favor of two other Likud MKs who are expected to vote “yes.” However, the sole member of Otzma Yehudit in the committee, MK Yizhak Kroyzer, also stated that he would vote “no,” meaning that the vote would have resulted in an 8-8 tie and failed.
Otzma Yehudit on Tuesday accused the Likud and Shas of attempting to cut a deal with the two representatives of the Arab parties in the committee, MKs Ofer Cassif (Hadash Ta’al) and Mansour Abbas (Ra’am), to abstain from the vote and enable it to pass. Shas denied the claim, and the two coalition parties traded barbs publicly on Tuesday evening.