When MK Menachem Eliezer Mozes entered the heated debate in the Finance Committee on the 'zero VAT' law, he received sympathetic smiles from all sides. After all, another person who can brighten the atmosphere is only welcome.
""I have 41 reservations," Moses exclaimed, sitting down in his chair.
Between one consultation and another, during a lull in the discussions, I tried to explore with him the possibility of going on vacation. "Me? On vacation?" He had difficulty understanding the question. "I am a public servant," he declared pathetically.
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A B&B in Safed? Something? I kept wondering.
""I don't even go to Switzerland, to my rabbi, who lives there...", he smiled.
With a small glass bottle of drink in his hand, he held up a sign in front of everyone: "Friends, the meeting is moving to the corridor..." When those consulting from the corridor returned, announcing the compromise agreement they had reached, which led to the closing of the meeting without the Finance Minister's law being approved, Mozes left the room, disappointed.
""I have 41 reservations left in my stomach...", she laments.
Outside, in front of the camera, we decided to give him a chance to voice some of them.
""I'll start with this: I established a lobby to solve the housing crisis in the previous term. Then I was invited to the prime minister's office, and the governor of the Bank of Israel was there, as well as Eugene Kendall, and then-Housing Minister Ariel Atias, and the heads of the administration - and then I brought them a proposal that at least in the periphery a discount in the form of a VAT exemption would be given.".
The days of Moses' 'warehouse tours'. Quite a few members of Knesset, along with public figures, were dragged into dark warehouses and basements to witness with their own eyes the housing crisis in the ultra-Orthodox sector.
""As it is in Eilat, I asked to expand to other places. Both the governor and Kendall told me at the time that it was out of the question. And the prime minister told me: 'We are sorry for the first ones.' The bank governor said that there is no precedent in the world for discounting value-added tax. VAT used to be sacred in the eyes of the Treasury. In fact, to this day.".
• The Treasury really doesn't support this much even now, it seems only the minister is in favor...
""The Treasury really isn't in favor of this, and it's interesting that the same guys who shouted against it then, today, under the command of their minister Lapid, come and speak in favor. On the other hand, they sit quietly in the committee and whisper to us what a pleasure it is for you to do our work...""
• It seems that the Jewish Home is also happy that you are doing their job. They are not enthusiastic either...
""A second political reservation is that neither the Likud nor the Jewish Home have any interest in giving a gift to Yesh Atid...
""The third reservation - it has now been announced that only 4,000 housing units meet the criterion of zero VAT, in the general sector. But what is happening here? They will make agreements with contractors... they will get along great with him, so it comes out to about three billion shekels.
""The most serious thing, regarding the Haredi public, is that the Treasury did not even agree to the ranking.
""And here I come to my fifth reservation – I come here at the start of the next school year and say that the only sector that will not receive water, electricity and cleaning will be the Haredi sector, due to the repeal of the Nahari Law. The Nahari Law should never have come into being, if they had treated us properly.".
""There is no precedent for this in the world where we are all being beaten on the hip. And does my wife have to go clean the school? Where will they pay for the electricity and water?""
I'm trying to ask him about the regulation that Gideon Sa'ar passed in the Law of Return, according to which, for the first time since the establishment of the state, same-sex couples who married abroad to a Jew who seeks to immigrate to Israel will be able to immigrate with him by virtue of their marriage - even if they are Gentiles - and become Israeli citizens.
Mozes tries to avoid going into details. At first he refuses to comment, but when he hears that MK Meir Porush has responded, he too is quick to respond. "Nothing appears in our media," he states.
As someone who almost consistently avoids criticizing Gideon Sa'ar, he tries to judge him fairly. "What he says in his defense is that he is following the Supreme Court's ruling, which has already ruled on this issue, the controversial issue called an abomination in the Torah.".
• If Eli Yishai were Minister of the Interior, would he also do this?
""Eli Yishai would have been a blunt admonisher from the High Court of Justice on the head... Unfortunately, these days the High Court of Justice rules, and things have already been decided on various issues. Unfortunately, Tefu, we can't talk about it, we won't elaborate, we need to wash our mouths out with soap...""
