Erdan comes out swinging at Netanyahu, Kahlon on final day as interior minister

Erdan came out strongly against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acquiescing to Kahlon's demand to transfer the Building Planning Directorate from the Interior Ministry to Kahlon's Finance Ministry.

Gilad Erdan speaks at JPost Diplomatic Conference (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Gilad Erdan speaks at JPost Diplomatic Conference
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Former interior minister Gilad Erdan attacked Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon in a fiery speech at a changing-of-the-guard ceremony at the Interior Ministry on Sunday afternoon.
Erdan came out strongly against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acquiescing to Kahlon's demand to transfer the Building Planning Directorate from the Interior Ministry to Kahlon's Finance Ministry.
"Transferring the Planning Directorate can cause 'a planning disaster' that can harm the citizens of the country," Erdan said. "It will be swallowed by the Finance Ministry whose entire goal and interest is economic."
Erdan said the housing shortage was on the way to being solved due to steps he took in the ministry, and shifting the directorate would not make any impact, unlike what Kahlon has repeatedly claimed.
Regarding his own political future, Erdan said he was still considering entering the government or remaining in the Knesset, although he was upset that his demand to unite the interior and public security portfolios was rejected by Netanyahu.
The new interior minister, Silvan Shalom, expressed hope that Erdan would soon return to the cabinet.
"I hope you come back to where you should be after a short break," Shalom said. "You are still young, and I told the prime minister that he should find a common language with you to solve the problem."