Jonathan Urich, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s adviser, mocked political strategist Ronen Tzur on Wednesday night after Tzur announced he was quitting the primaries of The Democrats party, led by Yair Golan. In a post on social media, Urich wrote, "There are flies among us that lasted longer than Ronen Tzur," referring to Tzur’s departure just nine days after he had loudly announced he was joining the party and running in its primary.
The jab came about a month after Tzur launched a harsh attack on Urich in a Radio 103FM interview tied to the "Qatargate" affair. Tzur said Urich deserved to be "put in a cell" for what he and his associates had done, and accused people identified with Netanyahu’s circle of working to harm the Hostages Headquarters and the families involved.
Tzur had joined The Democrats at the "Victory Machine" event in Tel Aviv only nine days earlier, where he declared, "I know how to beat them. I know how to defeat them. I know how to answer them in their own language." On Wednesday night, however, he withdrew from the race and sharply criticized the party leadership.
He said the party’s ideological line was "close to Ofer Cassif" and warned that its "Mamdanization" would keep it from joining the next governing coalition. Urich’s mockery also fits a broader pattern, as he previously ran a personal X campaign aimed at ridiculing Tzur.
