The truth must come out
The new, murky scandal surrounding Habayit Hayehudi's primaries offers more questions than answers. Channel 2's report, by Amit Segal, showed the new face of the National Religious Party, Habayit Hayehudi, as stained with a hefty dose of corruption. This, justifiably, has triggered a criminal investigation by the police. A rocky start for the new party.
It is quite embarrassing to learn that Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett found it correct or necessary to hire a private investigator to take a closer look at how MK Nissan Slomiansky staged his bid in the primaries to join the party's Knesset list. If in the Labor party the bought votes arrived in crates, at Habayit Hayehudi, if the secret tape is accurate, the tainted transactions allegedly arrived in cigarette boxes.
Bennett, who defended his unusual decision to hire a private investigator, must also ask himself why he found it necessary to purge his party with the help of a detective. The only plausible explanation is that he identified a putrid political abscess inside Habayit Hayehudi.
On the other hand, assuming there were just grounds for that move, Bennett made the right call by not letting corruption go unnoticed. It is better to clear the pollution than to turn a blind eye. Convincing the Israel Police and the state comptroller to launch an investigation is virtually impossible unless you have some piece of evidence that could raise reasonable suspicions. Bennett provided that, but let's hope he doesn't come to rely on the services of a private investigator on a regular basis and doesn't make it part of his routine.
The investigation is obviously far from over. No one knows whether this alleged instance of corruption runs deep or is just limited to the activities of Slomiansky. Was it widespread among other contenders for the party list? Those who followed the primaries in the party can recall how Slomiansky pulled a surprise upset that put him higher on the list than Uri Orbach and others. Perhaps the secret recordings could provide an explanation for this perplexing outcome.
No stone should be left unturned in this investigation. It must not be crippled by the typically slow bureaucracy at the police and the state prosecution. The truth must come out, now.
טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו