The co-leader of the Israeli Together Party and leader of Israel’s opposition, Yair Lapid, was in Washington to slam Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and help to restore Israel’s credibility. Lapid was in Washington to attend the ceremony for the deceased Senator Lindsey Graham, whom Lapid said shared his view of the necessity of the collapse of the Iranian regime. Nonetheless, he did not come to Washington to talk about a war with Iran but to talk to both Democrats and Republicans to denounce Netanyahu.
On July 27, he spoke at the Atlantic Council before an audience of some of the top critics of Israel in both the Democratic and Republican parties, where he said, “The first step is obvious” to restoring Israel’s reputation. “Send into retirement Benjamin Netanyahu and his group of extremists who are tearing us apart at home and abroad.”
“Here is the not to-do list for the Israeli government if you don’t want to witness the complete collapse of the country’s international status,” he said, targeting the insane statements and actions by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. “If a minister in your government says a nuclear bomb should be dropped on Gaza, fire him. If a minister in your government says there are circumstances in which it is acceptable to starve the civilian population, fire him. If a minister stands over a large group of handcuffed activists lying on the floor of a detention facility, waving a flag and mocking them, fire him,” Lapid said.
Lapid said reconciling with Democrats would be a priority, a government led by his party’s co-leader Naftali Bennett as prime minister, himself, and Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party as defense minister.
“Elizabeth Warren, John Ossoff and Tim Kaine are not the enemy,” he said, referring to Democratic senators who have been critical of Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war, and who have voted to suspend defense assistance to Israel.
While Lapid naturally pushed for his own party winning the upcoming October 27 elections, the Yashar Party is polling substantially ahead of the Together Party. Nonetheless, both parties will be in the next government if the opposition wins. It is also believed that the new Democrats Party, a merger between the old Labor and Meretz parties, would also join such a coalition.
