Likud attacks: "Horowitz slanders the Netanyahu family for media embraces"

The Likud party responded sharply today, Friday, to the interviews expected to be broadcast tonight with Yoav Horowitz, former chief of staff and director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, who recently joined the political circle of Gadi Eisenkot.

The response comes against the backdrop of promos and initial quotes published from the interviews. In the revealed segments, Horowitz addressed the conduct in the Prime Minister's Office and the relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu.

Among other things, he addressed the demand to have employees sign a loyalty pledge to the Netanyahu family:

"They approached me, they told me they were asking me to have the office employees sign. I went into the Prime Minister and said that this would not happen... This demand came from the house. It means that personal interest comes before everything else."

In another segment, Horowitz addressed Netanyahu himself and said:

"Power corrupts the perception of reality. The line between truth and lies is blurred... Enough is enough."

Likud responded:

"Everyone already knows the method: whoever is looking for a hug from the media knows very well what they have to do - slander the Netanyahu family. When Yoav Horowitz participated in the Kaplan protest, he had long ago signaled his new political home on the left."

From Netanyahu's confidant - to a partner of the biggest rival

Yoav Horowitz, a veteran of Sayeret Matkal and a former businessman, was considered for years one of the closest and most influential people to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The political connection between the two began back in 2006, when Horowitz served in a senior position in Netanyahu's election headquarters in the Likud primaries. Later, he was part of the party's coalition negotiation team, and in May 2016, he was appointed by Netanyahu to the position of Prime Minister's chief of staff.

In 2018, after the resignation of Eli Groner, Horowitz also took on the role of acting director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, which made him the central executive and political arm in the office. In June 2019, he announced the end of his role. Although the departure was accompanied by farewell messages and mutual words of thanks, it turned out that it was done against the backdrop of deep disagreements over the conduct of the office.

Horowitz was appointed to head the "100 Days Team" of "Yashar!", which is tasked with formulating the work plans and policies of Eisenkot.