At a press conference marking two months since the launch of the Economy Ministry’s “Israel Basket” initiative, Economy Minister Nir Barkat launched a broad attack on food monopolies, retail chains, journalists and Channel 12. He opened by calling Channel 12, in his words, “Coca-Cola channel 12,” and said it had opened a “war of annihilation” against him because the plan hurts powerful economic interests.
Barkat focused on businessman Dudi Wertheim, claiming the public should know that the owner of Channel 12 also controls major food interests, including Coca-Cola, Tara, Prigat and Carlsberg. He said this created a “clear conflict of interest” and asked whether such a channel could באמת fight for lower living costs. He described the Israeli economy as a “Coca-Cola system,” saying it is built on concentration, monopolies, cartels, and a small group of powerful players that make too much money from the public while controlling media and influence.
The minister argued that Israelis have been given false explanations for high prices, saying the public was sold lies that costs are driven by the world, the dollar, interest rates or war. He also accused major supermarket chains of boycotting the tender for the Israel Basket, saying only one chain participated in a market worth billions. Barkat called that a deliberate move and alleged coordinated efforts to sabotage the plan, including through “private journalistic conversations” meant to derail it.
Barkat cited figures he said show the initiative is already affecting prices, saying Carrefour’s Israel Basket products increased their market share by about 330% and that prices for these products at other chains fell 4.75% since his January press conference. He said rivals were forced either to keep losing customers or lower prices. He also accused most media outlets of siding with monopolies rather than consumers, said some journalists are paid directly or indirectly by monopoly owners, and ended by rejecting corruption allegations against him, saying he has served the public for 24 years on a symbolic salary and is not for sale. He said he would push for legislation in the next Knesset to require full disclosure whenever cost-of-living coverage appears in media tied to companies benefiting from high prices.
