During the ministerial exchange ceremony at the Finance Ministry between the new minister Bezalel Smotrich and former minister Avigdor Liberman on Sunday, Smotrich stated that he "is not committing to anything in advance" when asked about the promise to freeze rising electricity price rates.
"If you need me, I am at your disposal, we have one country," former finance minister Liberman told Smotrich during the ceremony. He did make a jab at the new minister, however, stating that "without flour, there is no Torah, so you will have to produce a lot of flour in light of the demands of your partners. A lot of flour."
"When you enter an office like the Finance Ministry, the most important thing, as far as I'm concerned, is to shed any political agenda, because I am the finance minister and I have an obligation to the citizens of Israel," Smotrich said.
"I am a man of the free market. Lieberman and I agree on many things. My commitment is to Israel's economy. It is no secret that the elite of the public service sits in the Finance Ministry."
"With God's help, the more we strengthen the economy - the more the state's revenues will increase. We are entering a challenging period, inflation and a global economic crisis. It is not certain that everything we do will be popular, but I hope it will be right for the long term," he said.
What does the future hold for the Finance Ministry?
When asked about the freezing of electricity price rates, Smotrich replied that "promises must be kept, but I am entering a complex office and intend to examine the issue in depth. I'm not committing to anything in advance. The cost of living will be at the center of our policy."
"Promises must be kept, but I am entering a complex office and intend to examine the issue in depth, I'm not committing to anything in advance. The cost of living will be at the center of our policy."
Bezalel Smotrich
"We have an exceptional country that was miraculously built here," Smotrich added. "There is a good economy in Israel and I am not inventing anything new. I will build myself on the foundations made by my predecessors, including minister Lieberman who was a good finance minister and who acted courageously. I hope to leave behind a better office and a stronger economy."
"As in the Transportation Ministry, I will try to produce as much as possible. In the end, not everyone likes the same decisions, but they will be discussed. To my wife Revital and my children, it's a bit of a cliché, but you bear the burden and are full partners. At the end, when the family is strong and stable, then you can do as many good things as possible," he said.