Far-right Netanyahu Ally Calls Him a ’Liar’ and a ’Tragedy’

By Haaretz

Member of the ‘Israeli’ Knesset [parliament] Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the far-right ‘Religious Zionism’ party, called his political ally Benjamin Netanyahu a "liar" and a "tragedy," tapes aired by the KAN public broadcaster on Sunday night revealed.

According to the report, the recording documents a conversation held in the past year.

"Physics or biology will do its thing. [Netanyahu] won't be here forever," the far-right politician can be heard saying in the tape. "At some point, he'll be convicted in court, I don't know. Come on, have a little patience in life. There's no doubt that he's a tragedy, okay? But now choose between one tragedy and another."

He adds, "If I wanted to take two [Knesset] seats from Bibi [Netanyahu] I should have attacked him head-on. He's a liar and a son-of-a-liar. He didn't want to go with the ‘United Arab List?’ He most definitely did. I'm the only one preventing a disaster, and I would have gotten two Knesset seats."

In response to the KAN report, Smotrich claimed at an election conference: "Someone leaked some old tape of mine from a while ago. I want to say clearly: I talked to my partner and friend Benjamin Netanyahu, and we will not let anyone create a conflict between us. We will work together and establish together a government, and the leakers and conflict-makers and those who are simply afraid need not fear, because we will do so much good for ‘Israel’."