Lapid renews criticism of Netanyahu government, calls for end to Gaza war
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid renewed his attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, saying that "as long as this government exists, the war will continue," stressing that the continuation of the war harms Israel's security, economic and political interests.
Lapid explained that Israel needs to end this war on its own terms, by completing a prisoner exchange deal and closing "this file once and for all."
His statements come amid growing criticism of the performance of Netanyahu's government, especially with regard to managing the war on the Gaza Strip and its effects on the internal situation in Israel.
In another development that reflects the growing anger within Israeli society, the families of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza called for continuing demonstrations and protests on Wednesday evening, to demand a deal that guarantees the release of their loved ones.
Al Jazeera's correspondent said that these calls came for the fourth consecutive day, as the families insist that continued popular pressure is the only way to return the prisoners. These calls reflect a state of popular discontent with the government's performance in managing the prisoners' file, as many Israelis believe that the government ignores the interests of the families in order to achieve political goals.
Prisoner Exchange Deal
In the same context, the Hebrew newspaper "Haaretz" revealed, quoting a source within the ruling coalition, that Netanyahu had been opposed to the prisoner exchange deal for weeks. The source explained that Netanyahu "discovered that the Philadelphi Corridor is an effective trick," referring to the border line linking the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
According to the source, Netanyahu sees this deal as a threat to his domestic political position, as he prefers to maintain the current situation rather than reach a solution that weakens his political position in the face of growing opposition from within and outside his government.
Netanyahu's government is facing sharp criticism after reports were published revealing that Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli spent huge sums on foreign visits. According to the Israeli Freedom of Information Movement, Chikli, who belongs to the Likud party, spent about $137,000 during the first half of 2024 on visits to countries such as Hungary, Poland, the United States, France, Spain and Belgium.
These expenses sparked widespread controversy, especially since some of them had nothing to do with Israel's official interests.
On one of these trips, Chikli participated in a demonstration by the far-right Vox party in Spain, and met with leaders of controversial right-wing parties in Europe and Latin America, some of whom considered this an unjustified interference in the internal affairs of those countries and a violation of Israeli foreign policy.