Gideon Sa'ar Submits Contradictory Affidavit to Supreme Court Against Party Member Sharren Haskel

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar submitted an affidavit to Israel's Supreme Court that directly contradicts a previous affidavit filed by his party colleague, Knesset member Sharren Haskel, concerning the State Comptroller election controversy. The report, published by Avishai Greenzeit on i24NEWS on Sunday, highlights a sharp dispute within the New Hope party over allegations related to recording votes during the election.

Sa'ar's affidavit denies Haskel's claims, stating that no directive from the Likud party demanded recording the vote. He also asserted that when rumors circulated about Knesset members intending to record themselves, he explicitly instructed New Hope members not to do so. Sa'ar described the entire affair as a "media provocation" initiated by Haskel. This creates a clear and direct contradiction between the party leader and one of his own members, both supported by sworn affidavits.

The report also criticized the handling of the investigation, particularly the role of the State Attorney, who ordered Haskel to testify but not under warning interrogation. Greenzeit called this approach "scandalous" and accused the State Attorney of discriminatory treatment against Likud members. He argued that the investigation was amateurish and failed to consider all evidence, and that there was justification for a criminal inquiry given the seriousness of false affidavits.

Additional context includes statements from Likud member Ze'ev Elkin, who said no one asked him to document the vote and that he relayed Sa'ar's instructions not to record. Haskel herself reportedly admitted she did not know the facts and only heard rumors. Political analyst Amit Segal also criticized the State Attorney for quickly opening an investigation when it seemed possible to catch the coalition in a false affidavit, but then remaining silent.

Separately, Channel 13 reported that Haskel privately claimed that Michel Buskila, who was involved in the directive to record the vote, received an award and was appointed deputy foreign minister in her place.

Summary: Gideon Sa'ar filed an affidavit contradicting Sharren Haskel's claims about recording votes in the State Comptroller election, sparking internal party conflict and criticism of the investigation's conduct by the State Attorney. The dispute centers on whether there was any directive to document the vote, with Sa'ar denying such orders and labeling the issue a media provocation.

Points: - Gideon Sa'ar submitted an affidavit contradicting Sharren Haskel's version on vote recording. - Sa'ar denied any Likud directive to record votes and called the issue a media provocation. - The State Attorney's handling of the investigation faced sharp criticism for being biased and inadequate. - Ze'ev Elkin confirmed he was instructed not to record the vote. - Haskel admitted uncertainty about the facts, citing only rumors. - Political analyst Amit Segal criticized the State Attorney for inconsistent investigation actions. - Haskel claimed Michel Buskila was rewarded and appointed deputy foreign minister after the controversy.

Topic: politics israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people":["Gideon Sa'ar","Sharren Haskel","Avishai Greenzeit","Ze'ev Elkin","Amit Segal","Michel Buskila"],"organizations":["New Hope","Likud","State Attorney","Knesset","i24NEWS","Channel 13"],"places":["Israel"]}