Sharren Haskel: 'I Stand by My Affidavit. My Faction Behaved Meanly Toward Me'

'120 and One' is the political podcast of ynet hosted by Moran Azulay, who hosts decision-makers, legislators, and reality-shapers in the State of Israel every week.

In the last few weeks, Sharren Haskel has grabbed the headlines in Israel: first, she resigned with a big noise from her position as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and left 'New Hope' while criticizing the coalition and her party chairman, Gideon Sa'ar. The second time was following her part in the investigation of the affair of documenting the vote in the Knesset on the identity of the State Comptroller. Ahead of embarking on an independent political path, she addresses in an interview with '120 and One' the storm-provoking affidavit she submitted to the Supreme Court and the difficult separation from her political home.

The Investigation and the Affidavit

During the vote in the Knesset on the identity of the next State Comptroller, in which Adv. Michael Ravilo won, it was claimed that coalition members were asked to document themselves with the ballot behind the curtain to ensure they chose the candidate the Prime Minister wanted. Haskel submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court confirming this, and has since given testimony on the matter to the police.

On the other hand, an affidavit was submitted on behalf of the Likud according to which the MKs documented themselves on their own initiative. Haskel's faction chairman, Gideon Sa'ar, also submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court stating: 'No demand was directed from the Likud to the members of New Hope'.

Now Haskel explains that from the beginning, her affidavit was submitted to the Supreme Court as part of her bureaucratic struggle to split from New Hope. 'I stand behind everything I said and behind every affidavit I submitted. But I cannot talk about it, certainly not about the testimony, even if I want to respond. I signed with the police that I am forbidden to share information about my testimony, as it could be seen as obstructing the proceedings of an investigation currently underway,' she explained.

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Political Future

Haskel, who until recently served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, resigned from the government just before the dissolution of the Knesset, when the official reason was the approval of the exemption from conscription law for Haredi deserters. 'I warned in real-time that this law is a betrayal of those who served us for three years,' she said.

Looking forward, Haskel emphasized that she is concentrating all her efforts on the success of her new project, the 'Israel First' party. 'I left the Likud for Gideon because I believed that a value-based and ideological right-wing movement should be established that could represent many who feel abandoned, political homeless people. There are almost 10 mandates of good guys — from the Likud, from Religious Zionism — who feel abandoned and have no political home,' she noted.