BICOM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked an apparent confrontation with senior Likud MK Gilad Erdan by sacking the reformist Director General of the Communications Ministry, an Erdan appointment.

On Sunday night, Netanyahu, who himself oversees the communications portfolio, telephoned Avi Berger, to tell him that his services were no longer required at the head of the Communications Ministry. Berger had been appointed in October 2013, when Erdan was Communications Minister and was tasked with reforming the internet, broadband and cellular markets. One of his key initiatives was to require communications giant Bezeq to allow other companies to piggyback its services, increasing competition.

In an apparent response, Erdan yesterday announced that he would introduce a Knesset bill forcing Bezeq to operate solely as an infrastructure company. Erdan said, “Bezeq has taken whatever steps it could to block or delay reforms that would lower costs to the public by tens of percent.” As a result, said Erdan, “I’ve come to the conclusion that the way to deal with such a strong monopoly is to require Bezeq to sell its content holdings and services.”

The dispute comes just days after Erdan failed to secure a ministerial portfolio of his liking in Netanyahu’s new government. Erdan topped the internal Likud primary prior to March’s general election and had hoped to become either Foreign Minister or be appointed both Interior Minister and Public Security Minister. However, Netanyahu reportedly offered him control only of the Interior Ministry, prompting Erdan to remain on the Knesset’s backbenches. On Sunday, Erdan appeared at a Jerusalem Day event alongside another former-Likud minister Gideon Sa’ar, considered an opponent of Netanyahu in what will likely be interpreted as a veiled threat to the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Isaac Herzog accused Netanyahu of attempting to control the media by sacking Berger. He said, “It’s a full blown war on the media. [Netanyahu] fires the Communications Ministry chief over the phone so that everyone in the studios will know who is the new boss.”