The centrist leader of Israel’s opposition, Yair Lapid, said Wednesday evening that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can no longer head the Israeli government. It was the first time since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that Lapid made such a statement.
Interviewed by Israeli Channel 12, Lapid said that “this government is not functioning. We need a change in the government. Netanyahu cannot continue being the prime minister of the state of Israel.” The opposition leader then added that “what we need is a government of national rehabilitation.”
As a reminder, five days after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Netanyahu and National Unity party leader Benny Gantz agreed to join forces and establish a war cabinet that would include Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Gantz and National Unity member Gadi Eisenkot. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Shas party leader Aryeh Deri would serve as observers in this reduced cabinet. Lapid himself refused at the time to join the Netanyahu-led government, saying it would only serve to hide the prime minister’s failures.
During the Wednesday interview Lapid said that his party, Yesh Atid, would agree to enter such a new rehabilitation government. “The Likud will head it. It’s the biggest party currently. But what is important is to start a process of rehabilitation and healing,” he noted.
Asked by the interviewer if Netanyahu should leave his position now, Lapid responded, “Yes. He must go now. Security-wise and on the society level, we cannot have a premier who has lost the trust of the public.”
Lapid accused Netanyahu of being occupied first and foremost with preventing tax deductions for the anti-judicial overhaul organization Brothers in Arms, which is now leading a donation campaign for residents in the south who evacuated, and with small-time internal politics.
“We need a government that can be trusted. I propose to establish together with the Likud, together with the ultra-Orthodox, which is a new thing for me, together with [Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor] Liberman, of course together with the National Unit party, a government of national rehabilitation.”
Lapid did not explain whether he expects Netanyahu to resign or whether he expects his coalition partners to push him out. He did note that the time was not right for new elections. He also said that after 40 days of fighting and with the campaign in Gaza expected to be long, Israel cannot go on with a prime minister the public does not trust. “We might soon be facing an economic crisis. As a society, we cannot permit ourselves any longer to be torn and divided,” said Lapid.
According to a poll released Tuesday, only 4% of Israeli Jews see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a reliable source of information for the Israel-Hamas war.
The head of the opposition reiterated his willingness to enter a government under the Likud, with a Likud prime minister, as long as it’s not Netanyahu.
The Likud responded by saying, “It is unfortunate and shameful that Lapid is playing politics during a war, proposing to oust the prime minister who is leading the campaign and replacing him with a government that will establish a Palestinian state and allow the Palestinian Authority to control Gaza.”
