Israel Opposition Fires at Netanyahu, Katz 5 Days Before Vote
(MENAFN) Israel’s opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Gadi Eisenkot launched blistering attacks on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, accusing him of putting his own political survival ahead of the nation’s interests. Their criticism targeted the government’s record and its handling of security warnings, days before next week’s elections.
In a post on the US social media platform X, Lapid, the opposition leader, charged that the government had turned Israel’s security into a “farce” while hunting for scapegoats to cover its failures.
“The reckless and hysterical statement made by the defense minister is a gift to Israel’s enemies,” Lapid said.
“Once again, this failed government is trying to make excuses and look for a scapegoat to cover up the failures of Netanyahu and the group of incompetent people surrounding him,” he added.
Lapid called Katz’s remarks “an explicit admission of their complete inability to govern the country and provide security for its citizens.”
“In their desperate attempt to avoid defeat at the ballot box, they are turning the security of the State of Israel into a farce,” Lapid said.
Eisenkot, a former Israeli army chief of staff who leads the opposition Yashar party, said that keeping Netanyahu and Katz in power threatened Israel’s security. In a separate X post, he accused Katz of laying the groundwork for “the next catastrophe” by shifting blame onto others in advance.
“A defense minister holding his political opponents responsible for attacks that the enemy may launch, even before they happen, is absurd and represents an unprecedented decline,” Eisenkot said.
“Every additional day they remain in their positions poses a danger to Israel’s security. In five days, we will put an end to this at the ballot box,” he said.
The exchange was set off earlier Thursday, when Katz declared in a statement that opposition leaders bore responsibility for “any attack on Israel and all future terrorist acts.”
“These attacks will be recorded in the names of Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan and their other colleagues in the opposition,” Katz said.
The clash comes amid mounting uncertainty over the elections, set for next Tuesday. Government officials have repeatedly warned of a possible Iranian attack on Israel, or Israeli strikes on Iran, before voters go to the polls.
Netanyahu has led the government since late December 2022, heading a coalition widely described as the most right-wing in Israel’s history. He is on trial in three cases on charges of corruption, bribery and breach of trust.
Beyond the domestic trial, Netanyahu has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2024 over war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, where more than 74,000 people have been killed since October 2023.
In a post on the US social media platform X, Lapid, the opposition leader, charged that the government had turned Israel’s security into a “farce” while hunting for scapegoats to cover its failures.
“The reckless and hysterical statement made by the defense minister is a gift to Israel’s enemies,” Lapid said.
“Once again, this failed government is trying to make excuses and look for a scapegoat to cover up the failures of Netanyahu and the group of incompetent people surrounding him,” he added.
Lapid called Katz’s remarks “an explicit admission of their complete inability to govern the country and provide security for its citizens.”
“In their desperate attempt to avoid defeat at the ballot box, they are turning the security of the State of Israel into a farce,” Lapid said.
Eisenkot, a former Israeli army chief of staff who leads the opposition Yashar party, said that keeping Netanyahu and Katz in power threatened Israel’s security. In a separate X post, he accused Katz of laying the groundwork for “the next catastrophe” by shifting blame onto others in advance.
“A defense minister holding his political opponents responsible for attacks that the enemy may launch, even before they happen, is absurd and represents an unprecedented decline,” Eisenkot said.
“Every additional day they remain in their positions poses a danger to Israel’s security. In five days, we will put an end to this at the ballot box,” he said.
The exchange was set off earlier Thursday, when Katz declared in a statement that opposition leaders bore responsibility for “any attack on Israel and all future terrorist acts.”
“These attacks will be recorded in the names of Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan and their other colleagues in the opposition,” Katz said.
The clash comes amid mounting uncertainty over the elections, set for next Tuesday. Government officials have repeatedly warned of a possible Iranian attack on Israel, or Israeli strikes on Iran, before voters go to the polls.
Netanyahu has led the government since late December 2022, heading a coalition widely described as the most right-wing in Israel’s history. He is on trial in three cases on charges of corruption, bribery and breach of trust.
Beyond the domestic trial, Netanyahu has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2024 over war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, where more than 74,000 people have been killed since October 2023.
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