Israeli advocacy activist and Amcha Yisrael party candidate Yoseph Haddad revealed during a political panel in Kfar Saba that Likud had attempted to recruit him to its electoral list, offering him a place among its top ten candidates and a promise of a ministerial position.
"Until the 90th minute, plus stoppage time, Likud offered me a spot in the top ten and a promise that I would serve as a minister," Haddad said during the event, moderated by journalist Golan Bar Yosef.
Earlier, in an interview with Naveh Dromi on i24NEWS, Haddad addressed several statements he had made in the past, including his previous support for a Palestinian state and his use of the term "West Bank."
Haddad rejected the criticism directed at him, arguing that his critics on the right were subjecting him to a loyalty test they did not apply equally to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During the interview, Haddad was asked why some of his statements in interviews conducted in different languages appeared to differ.
In response, he argued that Netanyahu had also used different wording when speaking to international media outlets, and that statements could easily be taken out of context and presented in a misleading manner.
"If you want to criticize me, you should first criticize the prime minister," Haddad said.
One of the central issues raised during the interview was Haddad's position on the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Dromi reminded him that he had previously expressed support for such a move and asked whether he still held that position. His answer was unequivocal: "No."
Asked whether that meant he had come to a different understanding and changed his views, Haddad answered in the affirmative.
"Absolutely," he said, adding, "Netanyahu also came to a different understanding, and so did Liberman. Many people have changed their views."
However, Haddad rejected attempts to characterize his previous political positions as left-wing.
Asked directly whether he had been a leftist in the past, he replied, "No."
Dromi also questioned Haddad about the terminology he had used in interviews outside Israel, particularly whether he now referred to the region as "Judea and Samaria" or the "West Bank."
Haddad clarified that he currently uses the term "Judea and Samaria," but dismissed criticism of his previous use of the alternative term.
"I love it when people bring that up, as if Netanyahu hasn't used it thousands of times," he said.
His repeated comparisons to the prime minister prompted another question from Dromi, who asked why he continued to mention Netanyahu whenever he was called upon to explain his past statements.
"Because they're applying a certain standard of loyalty to me. Let's apply that same standard of loyalty to Benjamin Netanyahu," Haddad responded.
Haddad argued that extremist elements on the right were subjecting his political loyalty to particularly harsh scrutiny based on statements he had made in the past.
He maintained that there was no justification for holding him to a different standard from other politicians who had changed their positions over the years.
As the discussion turned to his public record and the evolution of his political views, Haddad expressed anger at the way some of his critics portrayed him.
He questioned whether the mere fact that he had previously held different opinions was enough for them to regard him as a "collaborator and traitor."