"My dear brother Uri, when Rami Levi raises the price, I will consider it. When Yochananof raises the price, I will consider it. So as long as these two bastards do not raise the price - because both came from the Kurdistan region, so they probably have honor with you - then I, the Arab from Tunis, will not approve a price increase."

This is what Eyal Ravid, CEO and controlling shareholder of the Victory retail chain, told Uri Levi, CEO of the Beit Hashita canning company, in a recorded conversation played this morning at the Central District Court in Lod, as part of the evidentiary phase in the food market price coordination case. The recordings and apparent evidence in the case against Ravid during the Competition Authority investigation were first revealed in Calcalist.

Today the discussions focus on one of the charges filed against Ravid, according to which as a retailer he pressured suppliers to first raise prices at the competing chains Rami Levi and Yochananof, otherwise he would not approve their new price list at his chain - meaning he would stop marketing their products in Victory branches, beyond the existing stock he already has - an apparent violation of the Food Law.

This involves three suppliers according to the indictment: Dr. Fischer, Sastowitz and Beit Hashita. This is, according to the indictment, an offense under the Food Law that prohibits a retailer from interfering in prices at other retailers - in this case Rami Levi and Yochananof.

Today Beit Hashita CEO Levi testifies about the events in the indictment - October 2021. "No retailer wants to rush to raise the price to the consumer on his shelves, when I ask him to raise the price he pays me," Levi testified about the relationship with Ravid and the other retailers. "When it comes it is really a daily war to try to convince the retailer. Because if I reached the point of raising the price and it does not happen I harm my business. If understandings are not reached on the price with the retailer - I stop supplying goods. Block the retailer in our language. This is the background to the conversation."

In another recording Ravid is heard telling Levi, after he asks him to wait patiently until prices rise at the other chains and added that he is "working on it" because: "I have no patience. Uri my shelves are empty, I do not sell irons." Levi added in the conversation: "Rami Levi is more stressed about this matter (of shelves without goods, t.g). I am serious about this. Prices will rise I estimate within a day or two. I will update you." Ravid: "I give you until Sunday, and if not I tell you bye (meaning to bring in another supplier to the chains instead of Beit Hashita, t.g)."

In another recording that Ravid sent to Yigal Allal, one of the controlling owners at Beit Hashita, after the conversation with Levi in which he claims that canned goods prices are rising due to a 200% increase in tin prices, Ravid said: "On my dick, you can raise it 20% too. Just so the two terrorists raise it too." Levi testified: "Yigal wanted to help me talk to the retailers. To convince them to agree to the increase. We did not want him to throw us out. Victory does not receive goods and my interest is that they continue to take goods and we are negotiating with the Victory chain. I raise prices from a place of distress, not to stop selling. I did not want to rest until I raise the prices at all the retailers."

In another conversation between Ravid and Levi, after Levi tells him that he handled price increases at other chains, Ravid tells him: "What was handled - I handled; where it was not handled no, because I am still much higher than him (Rami Levi, t.g) in price." Levi testified: "We already went down to the item level. He raised the consumer price on some products and not on others. When Eyal talks about a price higher than him at others, he is talking about what he sees in Prices (a site where you see the prices at all chains in real time, so retailers can compare if the consumer price at them is higher or lower, t.g). He saw that others raised prices, so he raises at his place too."