Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri clashed on Twitter over the supermarket law a month ago. The argument over the law, which forbids shops from operating on the Sabbath and holidays, was quite polite. The two called each other “my friend.”

The two have indeed been friends for many years. They have cooperated on many political fights, such as the running of a joint candidate (Moshe Leon) to head the Jerusalem municipality more than four years ago, and have served together in several coalitions. On Jan. 20, this friendship ended. 

A week earlier, Ashdod city inspectors, under pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties in the local town council, started fining businesses open on Saturday at the large shopping centers on the outskirts of the city. Shops at these centers have been open on Saturdays for many years and had never received citations. After the Knesset passed the supermarket law, ultra-Orthodox council members wished to see local businesses open on the Sabbath fined. Mayor Yehiel Lasri, who intends to run for another term at the end of this year, gave in.

For Liberman, the chairman of Yisrael Beitenu, it was an opportunity to prove to his voters that he knows how to fight for them. He arrived at Ashdod on Saturday morning with a large entourage, including Immigration and Absorption Minister Sofa Landver, who is a member of his party and a resident of the city. Liberman entered a mall where businesses had been fined and sat at a cafe. He bought some cheeses at the Tiv Ta’am store, known for selling pork sausages and for its many employees and customers from the former Soviet Union.