Attorney Ofer Bartel, a former candidate for the Supreme Court, claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an "Iranian spy" during an interview with Channel 12 News.
Bartel's comments were made in response to Netanyahu's refusal to commit to accepting the decision of the Supreme Court even if the court overturns Basic Laws.
"I think, and forgive me for being blunt, I think Bibi is an Iranian spy," he said. "If there's anything that harms the country's security, economy, society, and every other basic thing in the country, it's the prime minister. The damage done is so much more harmful than if Iranian rockets were falling here."
Host Rafi Reshef pushed back on Bartel's accusation, telling him that "it damages your claim."
"Let it go. It would have been better if you hadn't made your claim," Reshef said.
Other people in the studio during the interview also condemned the comments. Journalist Yaron Avraham said that Netanyahu "is not an Iranian spy, not even close."
Bartel later took to Facebook to clarify that he was speaking metaphorically and does not believe that the Prime Minister is actually an Iranian agent.
"I called Bibi an Iranian spy on N12 today," Bartel wrote. "It was obviously not a great formulation because it's clear to everyone that he isn't. I said those words as a metaphor alone because of the heavy damage that in my opinion he is doing to the Holy Land and its citizens groaning under his leadership."
News ID : 2353