Mr. Speaker,
Members of Knesset,

I listened attentively to a number of Knesset Members who spoke reasonably, as well as to more than a few slanderous and ridiculous statements made here during the debate.  I am pleased that the Opposition was given the platform to release so much baggage that apparently weighed heavily on them.  After all, you do look in the mirror every once in a while, and you see yourselves well.  I hope that now, after you let go of all this heavy baggage, you will allow the Israeli public to enjoy at least one week free of slander and invective.  I know it is hard, but maybe you should try. 

Over the past few weeks, we have been witness to a public campaign titled “the struggle against corruption”.  Unfortunately, this campaign has no higher purpose than the simple desire to sully the Likud Movement, the elected officials of the Likud Party and its institutions.  (I think that this discussion is the best proof of the lack of relevance and of the political motives of those who stand behind the matter.)  The Likud won the broad confidence of the citizens of Israel in the previous elections, and its elected officials constitute one-third of the members of this house.  The Likud has hundreds of thousands of members across the country, and from all sectors of the population.  Therefore, I have no doubt that this attempt to defame the Likud will not succeed.

There is no other way of understanding this aggressive campaign, which portrays the Likud as the evil and corrupted face of Israel, other than as a political attempt to undermine the democratic decision of the citizens of Israel.  This campaign is taking place while exercising double standards between the members of the Likud and members of other parties. 

I did indeed listen for two and a half hours to many things.  There were a few statements which I believe were honest, but most of the statements made here were nothing but false, ridiculous and malicious.

This campaign, as I already said, is taking place while exercising double standards between the members of the Likud and members of other parties.

It presents a false image of the Likud Central Committee as the source of all evil in Israel, and implies that its obliteration – something you will never get to see – will immediately lead to a just, honest and fair society – like yourselves – in which politics will be conducted with a measure of morality and justice.  I suppose that everyone who is even slightly familiar with the goings-on in the parties of this house understands how ridiculous this thought is.

The State of Israel is a law-abiding state.  The legal authorities are instructed to fight every phenomenon of transgression against the law, without fear and without bias.  The Government decided at its last meeting that, given the many missions which the Israel Police face in the field of law enforcement, there will be an increase in the resources and manpower of the police, as well as those organizations charged with enforcing the law.  We will also strictly uphold the principle of no political intervention in the work of the law-enforcement authorities.

However, the time has come to understand that there is not one law for the Likud and a different law for the rest of the parties.  There will be no other law, even if you continually pursue it, there will be no other law.  There will be one law for the Likud and the other parties.  I know that for some of those who sit here this is a painful truth.  My sole comfort for them on this issue is that they will have many long years under the leadership of the Likud to try to internalize this fact.  Only then, when it is understood that there is no double standard in the eyes of the law, and that it is not possible that deeds which are repressed in every party, are, with the Likud, immediately painted with the brush of corruption.  Only then will we be able to hold a truly relevant discussion in this house, and not a distorted discussion at the level we witnessed today.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that we will soon hold a similar discussion regarding violence, and I intend to detail the Government’s actions in the framework of its struggle against violence, trade in women, the plague of drugs and the range of crimes which affect the fabric of Israeli society.  I only hope that this discussion will not have a political bent, as this one did, rather that it will be a relevant discussion which respects the Knesset of Israel.

Thank you.