Herzog continues aiming blows at Yachimovich
Labor leader continues onslaught against senior MK, saying he has 'serious concerns' with her conduct after she described his behavior during negotiations to join the gov't as akin to a dog's.
The exchange of blows continued between Labor leader Isaac Herzog and former leader MK Shelly Yachimovich on Saturday, with Herzog harshly criticizing Yachimovich's conduct during his join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Herzog bemoaned the fact that Yachimovich, according to him, had called him a "dog."
"Saying that someone who speaks with the prime minister is a dog who walks on all four, while that person is making efforts to prevent bloodshed—I have serious concerns with what Shelly Yachimovich has been doing over the past few weeks," he said.
Herzog also claimed that Yachimovich had repeatedly told him that she was in favor of joining the government, and then immediately came out against him in the press.
"In a political body, there are basic rules; it is not acceptable to call a leader a 'dog who walks on all four,'" he said.
Yachimovich leveled unprecedented scathing criticism at Herzog on Tuesday, claiming that "Netanyahu threw Herzog a bone and ordered him to retrieve it on all fours. His 'offer' should have been categorically rejected."
She later denied having referred to Herzog as a "dog."
Herzog was met with fierce criticism from his own Labor party to his efforts to join the government. Eventually, the talks fell through, and Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu joined the government instead.
Despite the harsh criticism, Herzog clarified on Saturday that he has no intention of resigning. "I have no intention of giving that pleasure to these people by resigning," he said.
Herzog also spoke about the diplomatic process that would have been launched, had he joined the government: "With the unveiling of the diplomatic process on which I worked hard with Prime Minister Netanyahu and international officials, Israel would have address the Arab peace initiative positively for the first time, and would have been able to negotiate with Arab states about it for the first time ever. Such a development would have undoubtedly changed the face of the region."
He also stated he had no intention of negotiating with Netanyahu again. "The problem with Netanyahu is that, in the end, it has been proven that when he stands in the face of a historic decision, he fails to make it and always blinks first. I told to overcome his fears. I also have fears, but I believed (this was possible). Negotiations with Netanyahu are not on the agenda. They are completely over and behind us. There is no reason to believe in Netanyahu."
