Ex-Budget Chief Slams Government Over Fuel Prices, Netanyahu's Foreknowledge

Shaul Meridor, former head of the Budget Division, has sharply criticized the Israeli government's handling of rising living costs, particularly fuel prices. Speaking on the radio station 103FM, Meridor alleged that the government used 300 million shekels from state funds to artificially delay a fuel price increase last month, effectively masking the true cost from the public until after October. He argued this was a "reckless government policy" that failed to address the broader issue of the high cost of living in Israel, which affects areas like housing and groceries.

Meridor contended that instead of cosmetic fixes like subsidizing fuel, the government should have tackled fundamental economic issues. He expressed frustration that politicians have historically avoided confronting powerful interests to help citizens, drawing a parallel to the security failures preceding the October 7th attacks, stating that problems should not be swept under the rug.

He also commented on the "Yisrael Beiteinu" party's economic plan, particularly its focus on young people who have served the country through military and reserve duty. Meridor supported investing in this demographic through measures like combat soldier benefits, reserve duty compensation, and long-term rental solutions, emphasizing that specific policies are needed rather than general pronouncements.

Furthermore, Meridor directly accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of knowing about intelligence warnings regarding Hamas's military buildup and the transfer of funds to the organization. Meridor claimed Netanyahu ignored requests from security agencies to halt these transfers, allowing the funding of what he called "the monster that eventually attacked us on October 7th." He asserted that Netanyahu bears responsibility for allowing this to happen despite being alerted.