Yair Lapid: 'In our government, Hezbollah did not dare to attack Israel'

The opposition leader and former prime minister criticized the events in the north, saying, "We should give a chance for diplomatic action before burning down an entire country." 

 Head of opposition Yair Lapid leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem,  June 10, 2024 (photo credit: CHAIM GOLDBEG/FLASH90)
Head of opposition Yair Lapid leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 10, 2024
(photo credit: CHAIM GOLDBEG/FLASH90)

Opposition head and former prime minister Yair Lapid addressed in a Tuesday interview with Udi Segal and Anat Davidov Radio 103FM the complicated situation in the North.

"The use of force in the north is not ruled out," he clarified. "In our government, Hezbollah did not dare to attack. We need to give a chance to diplomacy before we burn down an entire country."

Addressing conscription law 

Regarding the protests outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence on Monday, he said, "Ben-Gvir has completed his takeover of parts of the police. We have never had a weaker and more dysfunctional government. The government excels in one thing—finding scapegoats for its failures. Nothing works, so go home."

Referring to the conscription law, he said, "I will not turn conscription into a tool to overthrow the government."

HAREDI MEN protest outside the IDF recruiting office in Jerusalem.  (credit: CHAIM GOLDBEG/FLASH90)
HAREDI MEN protest outside the IDF recruiting office in Jerusalem. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBEG/FLASH90)

He added that "it [is a betrayal of the fighters, a betrayal of the reservists, a betrayal of the Israeli middle class and a betrayal of the IDF."

"The Israeli government is undermining the security of the country. Netanyahu is selling our fighters," Lapid stated. "During a time of war, they try to exempt tens of thousands of young people without any justification. Every day fighters are killed, since we met here last Monday we are already at 16 dead who gave their lives for the country, and the yeshiva students are hiding behind the Torah."

"In order to recruit them, you don't need any process of adaptation. There is already such a process, it's called basic training. You come for basic training and after a few weeks or months, depending on which corps you are in, you have already adapted and you already fit in," he noted jokingly.