Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticized Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana for excluding Supreme Court President
By Sammy,
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticized Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana for excluding Supreme Court President Isaac Amit from the upcoming address by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lapid stressed that the opposition is not boycotting the session but is being shut out. He said India is a strategically important country and full Knesset participation is essential. By leaving out Amit, he argued, the Speaker is reducing the session to a "Knesset of half a country." Lapid noted that Amit had also been excluded from other high-profile events, including US President Donald Trump's visit, but the absence only drew attention during Trump's speech last October.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the public to watch the Knesset vote on his order raising the tax-exemption ceiling for personal imports to $150. He framed the issue as one for citizens rather than political factions. Smotrich said voters should see who supports competition, low prices, and affordable goods and who wants prices to stay high. He called his reforms a revolution breaking monopolies and criticized both coalition and opposition members who might block them.
Smotrich also criticized Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron for leaving interest rates at 4 percent. He said the decision ignores weakening inflation and a strong shekel and harms households, businesses, and mortgage holders. He called for a reversal to promote economic growth and ease credit conditions.
At a Knesset "40-signatures" debate, Avigdor Liberman blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the October 7 Hamas attack, calling it the largest massacre in Jewish history after the Holocaust. Liberman said Netanyahu's report to the State Comptroller was incomplete and criticized decisions involving Qatari funds to Hamas and missed opportunities for military action.
Topics: Gaza, Israeli Politics
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.