Netanyahu blames Kadima for Gaza disengagement in apparent gaffe
Prime minister ridiculed by Zionist Union after erroneous claim that Gaza disengagement, which he voted in favor of, occurred under Kadima government rather than Likud.
The disengagement from Gaza was implemented in 2005 by a Likud government headed by Ariel Sharon – but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who voted in favor of the disengagement, told The Jerusalem Post in a recent pre-election interview that it occurred in 2006 under the Kadima government, after he was not elected as prime minister.
Following the interview, the Zionist Union uploaded to its Facebook page a video showing Netanyahu voting in favor of the disengagement.
This was the second time that Netanyahu appeared to give a confused statement in the last few days. Last week he told a radio interviewer that Yair Lapid was a "natural partner", leading to a Likud statement clarifying the issue and saying the prime minister misspoke.
Zionist Union chairman Isaac Herzog also misspoke on a Channel 2 broadcast on Saturday, saying his party would safeguard "a unified Netanyahu" - meaning "Jerusalem".
And MK Ayelet Shaked of Bayit Yehudi made her own gaffe on Sunday morning, when she told her radio audience to vote Likud. "I call on anyone who is right-wing, anyone who believes in the land of Israel, the Torah, and the people of Israel to vote for Likud," she said before quickly correcting herself.
