Netanyahu slams Yaron Zelekha

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply criticized Professor Yaron Zelekha, chairman of the Economic Party, on Tuesday evening, arguing that despite his attempts to appeal to right-wing voters, his political and economic positions contradict the image he presents to the public. During an interview on Channel 14's program “The Patriots", Netanyahu claimed that Zelekha had previously voted for the left-wing Meretz party and was concealing that fact. Netanyahu also addressed Zelekha's participation in protests against him, saying, "He protested at Balfour, at Kaplan, and he protested viciously. He attacks the right in general, not just me." The Prime Minister then turned to Zelekha's economic positions and his criticism of the high cost of living, crediting his own governments with introducing major economic reforms, including the reform of Israel's cellular market. "We led the cellular reform that brought prices down to rock bottom, and Zelekha opposed it," Netanyahu said. He attributed Zelekha's opposition to the fact that he was representing the Partner telecommunications company at the time. Netanyahu also criticized Zelekha's position on Israel's natural gas framework. "He opposed extracting the gas from the sea. Do you know what situation the country was in? We were dependent on all kinds of outside parties," he said. The Prime Minister also rejected Zelekha's portrayal as a supporter of free-market economics. "He is no champion of the free market. My colleagues and I are the ones who introduced the reforms," Netanyahu said.