Israeli opposition leader calls for government without Netanyahu
Around 40 days after the start of the Gaza war, Israel's opposition leader Jair Lapid has called for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu's Likud - the largest party - should elect a new prime minister, and together they will get to work, Lapid wrote on Thursday on the X platform, formerly Twitter. "The time has come - we need a national government of reconstruction."
Lapid wrote: "Netanyahu has lost the trust of his citizens, the trust of the international community and most seriously - the trust of the security apparatus." In Israel, there has been massive criticism of Netanyahu, who has not yet taken direct responsibility for the political and military failures of October 7. In contrast, leading representatives of the military and intelligence services had also acknowledged their responsibility after the devastating major attack by the Islamist Hamas.
Netanyahu with the most far-right government
According to Lapid's statements, the new government he has in mind would include both his centrist Future Party and religious parties - but not Netanyahu's current far-right coalition partners. Netanyahu leads the most far-right government in Israel's history. In the months leading up to the war, it was criticized for putting Israel's security at risk for a planned, highly controversial judicial reform.
Lapid wrote: "We have waited 40 days, we have no more time. We now need a government that will deal with nothing but security and the economy. We can't afford another election next year where we keep arguing and explaining why the other side is a disaster."
The Likud party rejected Lapid's statements, which he had already made on television on Wednesday. The party accused him of striving for a government that would, among other things, establish a Palestinian state.
- The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have further highlighted the need for a change in leadership in Israel, with opposition leader Jair Lapid stating that Netanyahu's lack of trust from both the citizens and the security apparatus is causing significant issues.
- As the Israeli opposition leader calls for a national government without Netanyahu, it's important to note that Netanyahu's current far-right coalition partners may not be included in the proposed government, given their controversial judicial reform plans and potential impact on Israel's security.
Source: www.dpa.com
