Yad L'Achim's annual lottery has been launched for the 16th time - and you? You're winning big! \u2022 Promoter<\/mark><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nIn a conversation this morning (Sunday) with Gideon Oko and Amichai Atali on 103fm radio, the minister said that if a similar government is formed after the elections, we may experience another massacre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""How does the extremist Islamic mind work? It is in Hamas, in Hezbollah, Iran - it recognizes weakness when you are unclear in the face of your enemy. When they saw a government supported by an Islamic party, faltering and unclear in its positions, they recognized weakness. Whoever thinks this won't happen if a similar government is formed that relies on the Arab parties - next October 7 is on the way.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, does he agree with the statement made by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich last week on 103fm that joining Mansour Abbas is more serious than October 7? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""I don't think that was his intention, and the words were taken out of context. The Minister of Finance knows that the October 7th event was the most difficult in Israel since its founding. It is the most difficult event there has been. It is clear that the event did not come in a vacuum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""The incident happened during our shift, but it was orchestrated during Bennett's and Lapid's previous shifts as prime ministers. We also know from the intelligence picture that Sinwar planned this when he saw the government's weakness," he claimed. "When we came to power, debates began within the people regarding everything related to legal reform and a division arose. This may have been a significant trigger for his decision.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added: "The entire State of Israel, including all its citizens on the right and left, received a resounding slap. This people rose from the most terrible situation there is, and managed to defeat its enemies out of all the sorrow over the most difficult event that Israel has had since its establishment. The people rose, fought and defeated their enemies.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zohar is being questioned in the Histadrut corruption case, and for his ties to insurance agent and Likud activist Ezra Gabbay. "I hope the investigation is over, I have nothing to hide, and I have never received anything from anyone. I don't know if there is a continuation of the investigation, but if there is - I'm here," he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""Ultimately, I do believe that there is selective enforcement in our direction. There is some tendency to portray us as 'corrupt, you've had enough.' We think there is a light hand on the trigger when it comes to right-wing elected officials," he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zohar believes that his case is not just private, but an issue that needs to be clarified regarding the relationship between politicians and activists. "My incident could be a watershed moment, not just in the context of the Likud, but in the context of all parties in Israel. In every party that has primaries, everyone needs connections with influential people in order to get elected - this is an incident that is even interesting to me," he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wondered: "When there is an influential person, and it doesn't matter which party he is from, let's say he belongs to Ta'al and he turns to Ahmed Tibi and asks for his help, and he helps him within the framework of the law, will this be considered something forbidden? As an act of bribery?"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He then referred to footage from the Likud events in Eilat, in which the audience is seen being updated on the fall of an IDF soldier in Lebanon, and immediately afterwards a stand-up show begins. Zohar was furious about the framing of the event: "I am hurt by the media's lack of objectivity. They filmed the statement about the soldier's fall, and they didn't film the front row afterwards. What happened was that I and several other ministers immediately left the hall. We were not present during the stand-up, and no one mentioned or said that.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\""The attempt to present the Likud as a detached party will not succeed," Zohar clarified. "The Israeli public knows very well that the Likud is a movement of all Israeli citizens: we have ultra-Orthodox, secular, gay - everything.".<\/p>\n\n\n\n