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Israeli leaders spar in pre-election television debate

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Eight party political leaders participated in Israel’s first ever television debate of its kind, discussing a range of issues as Israel prepares to go to the polls on 17 March.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog declined to participate in yesterday’s debate, broadcast on Channel Two, as did United Torah Judaism leader Ya’akov Litzman. Nonetheless, in a campaign so far characterised by social media barbs, the lively debate examined party positions and specifically pitted leaders against one another on the issues perceived to divide them most.

Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett went head to head with Meretz’s Zahava Gal-On over the future of the West Bank. Bennett said, “We are the only ones who say clearly that we will not allow a centimetre of land to be given to Arabs.” Gal-On retorted that Bennett was simply hoping that “five million Palestinians will just disappear.”

Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman was paired with Joint Arab List head Ayman Oudeh, until now a relatively unknown public figure. Lieberman accused Oudeh of threatening Israeli Arabs who wish to perform national service “and is still a citizen. What kind of country allows that?” Oudeh branded Lieberman “from the 1930s” and called for dialogue between Arabs and Jews rather than mudslinging.

Meanwhile, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Kulanu’s Moshe Kahlon clashed over the issue of housing. Lapid, who was Finance Minister in the last government said that many new homes are being built, but Kahlon pointed out that house prices increased by 17 per cent during Lapid’s time in office.

The final head to head pairing of Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Yachad head Eli Yishai dealt with the bitter split between the two which led to Yishai splitting from Shas. Both leaders tried to claim the mantle of Shas’s spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, who died in 2013. Deri accused Yishai of “destroying his [Yosef’s] life’s work” while Yishai chided Deri, saying “this is not how he taught us to behave.”