Deri, Liberman Trade Blows After Liberman Claims Blue and White Offered Shas Four Portfolios 

Shas leader Rabbi Aryeh Deri released a fierce attack on Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman on Sunday, claiming that he demanded five portfolios when he won only five seats in the April election.

In a social media post, Rabbi Deri replied to Liberman’s earlier statement, in which he said that both Likud and Blue and White are beholden to the chareidi parties.

Addressing Liberman, Rabbi Deri wrote: “You demanded over NIS 2 billion for pensioners from the former Soviet Union who don’t work and don’t pay taxes. You demanded [Israel] open 17 immigration offices in former Soviet countries; states in which it’s doubtful there are even any Jews. And more, and more. So how do you have the audacity to accuse the chareidim of extorting?”

He denied Liberman’s claim that Blue and White offered four ministerial portfolios to Shas to get the party to join the government.

Liberman said that Netanyahu “sold out the secular public and immigrants from the former Soviet Union in favor of his strategic alliance with the chareidim.”

Blue and White’s Gantz, he added, is no better, having courted the chareidi parties aggressively to join his government.

According to Liberman, Gantz “promised Shas last month four cabinet portfolios, two deputy minister posts,” control over matters of religion and state, and the position of acting prime minister.