Coalition chairwoman Yamina MK Idit Silman’s claim on Motzei Shabbos during an interview with Channel 12 that she was physically assaulted at a gas station in the city of Modi’in two weeks ago is likely false, media reports said on Sunday.

“I had an incident two weeks ago,” Silman claimed during an interview with Meet the Press. “Someone grabbed me after I filled up at a gas station in Modi’in. He banged me against the car. I understood how dangerous words could be. At that moment, I resolved that I’m putting everything on the side and we’re passing a budget.”

After the interview, Silman refused to answer further questions about the assault but claimed that she filed a complaint with the Knesset Officer about the serious incident. But according to the Knesset Officer, no such complaint was ever filed. Additionally, Silman refused to respond to multiple requests, including from Channel 12, to identify the name of the gas station or the exact date the incident occurred. All gas stations in Israel are equipped with security cameras which means that the identity of Silman’s “attacker” could be confirmed within minutes.

Later, Silman changed her story, saying that the incident (if it actually occurred) didn’t actually happen two weeks ago but earlier. “It’s not a new story, but received headlines now,” she wrote. But her new version doesn’t make sense either since she claimed that the attack was the impetus “to put everything on the side and pass a budget.”

It should be noted that this isn’t the first time that Silman claimed she was being harassed. When Yamina was in negotiations to form the current coalition and there were widespread protests by the party’s former supporters for joining forces with left-wing parties, Silman claimed that she was secretly being followed by a car while driving.

The police raided the homes of the people Silman claimed were following her but they turned out to be Dati yeshiva students who had publicly protested against Silman not to join the government but no evidence was ever found that they secretly followed Silman. As of now – six months after the claimed incident – no indictment had been filed against them.

Silman has refused all requests on Sunday to provide more information on the incident.

“What Silman apparently forgot is that you can lie to some people all the time, you can lie to all people some of the time, but you can’t lie to everyone all the time,” wrote Religious Zionist party chairman Betzalel Smotrich.

“Her attempt to delegitimize the justified public opposition to the fact that she and her colleagues turned their back on their values and promises through false tales is another low point is what seems to be a bottomless pit.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)