Nissim Mishal to Ze'ev Elkin: "Sa'ar abandoned you"
Minister Ze'ev Elkin discussed the upcoming Likud primaries with journalists. When asked why Gideon Sa'ar did not reserve a spot for him on the party list, Elkin explained that the decision was part of a strategy to allow Sa'ar to focus on his role as Foreign Minister.
Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ze'ev Elkin spoke on Thursday with Nissim Mishal and Anat Davidov on 103fm ahead of the upcoming Likud primaries. Elkin expressed confidence in his chances of being elected, and when asked why his party leader, Minister Gideon Sa'ar, did not reserve a spot on the Likud list for him, he replied: "He did not abandon me — we agreed on what we agreed a year ago."
Mishal challenged this, stating: "In the end, you were abandoned." Elkin responded: "Why abandoned? Our agreement with Likud was published the moment we signed it, and the one who decides on reserved spots is Gideon Sa'ar."
Anat Davidov pressed further, asking why Sa'ar chose not to reserve a spot for him. Elkin explained that Sa'ar was not active "in the field," which makes running in the primaries difficult: "I was asked why he is not working enough in the field. I told him he needs to decide whether to run or not; you cannot be in the middle." According to him, the decision was made a year ago: "We reached the conclusion that if he wants to perform his job as Foreign Minister effectively during this period, the model needs to change. It was agreed that he would use the reserved spot and I would run in the primaries," he said.
Despite the interviewers' skepticism regarding his chances, Elkin believes the primaries will benefit him: "I am constantly out in the Likud field, many mayors have issued public support, and there are many national groups supporting me — which is rare these days. We brought 2400 people in the census, and we are making mutual support agreements with other candidates." He noted his past experience: "I have run in primaries before; I know this campaign. I was elected to spots 7, 8, and 11; I have always been elected high. I will run this time as well, and the Likud voters will decide."
Later in the conversation, Elkin addressed the recent riots in Samaria:
"I do not believe in actions of this kind; I do not think this is what advances the settlement movement. I believe in advancing the settlement movement through legal actions and the establishment of new settlements."
However, he expressed reservations about renewing administrative detentions for Israeli citizens: "I do not think using this tool is effective at all. It concerns individual people, so I do not think this is what will solve the problem. We need to treat citizens of the State of Israel beyond the Green Line with the same tools used for citizens inside the Green Line."
