(haaretz).Commotion broke out in the Knesset yesterday as MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima ) spread Monopoly money bearing images of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu across the plenum stage.
While addressing the assembled lawmakers and Netanyahu himself, Hasson revealed the bills, printed by his own party, featuring the phrase "In Bibi We Trust?" in English, and "Bibi buys political surv
ival with our money" in Hebrew.
While he spread them across the stage, Hasson's fellow Kadima lawmakers produced signs with similar slogans.
Security personnel forcibly removed Hasson and collected the bills, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin announced he will file a complaint against Hasson with the Knesset's Ethics Committee.
MK Ofir Akunis (Likud ) seized the opportunity to censure Kadima chair Tzipi Livni, whom he said "is waging a mendacious, incendiary campaign against the government and reaching new heights of hypocrisy and lies." he also compared her to former Shinui party head Yosef (Tommy) Lapid.
Netanyahu responded yesterday by saying he wouldn't be moved by the outburst. "Other than a few incidents, which I must say I regret, in my years in politics I have refrained from reacting to personal attacks and have sought to address the issues at hand," he said.
"Do you think you're accomplishing anything, that you're receiving attention? The impression left by this house is important, and broadcast to the public. It's important to the standing of the Knesset and of politics itself."
While addressing the assembled lawmakers and Netanyahu himself, Hasson revealed the bills, printed by his own party, featuring the phrase "In Bibi We Trust?" in English, and "Bibi buys political surv
ival with our money" in Hebrew.While he spread them across the stage, Hasson's fellow Kadima lawmakers produced signs with similar slogans.
Security personnel forcibly removed Hasson and collected the bills, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin announced he will file a complaint against Hasson with the Knesset's Ethics Committee.
MK Ofir Akunis (Likud ) seized the opportunity to censure Kadima chair Tzipi Livni, whom he said "is waging a mendacious, incendiary campaign against the government and reaching new heights of hypocrisy and lies." he also compared her to former Shinui party head Yosef (Tommy) Lapid.
Netanyahu responded yesterday by saying he wouldn't be moved by the outburst. "Other than a few incidents, which I must say I regret, in my years in politics I have refrained from reacting to personal attacks and have sought to address the issues at hand," he said.
"Do you think you're accomplishing anything, that you're receiving attention? The impression left by this house is important, and broadcast to the public. It's important to the standing of the Knesset and of politics itself."