Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the Israeli government as well as its Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu of “unpardonable failure” on Thursday after Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked southern Israel, Barron’s reports. They subsequently brutally murdered more than 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped around 150, many of whom are being held hostage and could face execution.
Lapid announced he would forego joining the emergency unity government announced by Bibi and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday evening. He stated in a televised address that “Saturday’s failure is unpardonable.”
A poll released Thursday echoed this sentiment, revealing that for out of five Jewish Israelis agree Bibi and the government are to blame for allowing over 1000 heavily armed Hamas militants to breach the Gaza-Israel border at 15 different points, resulting in the massacre of civilians, women and children, namely in quiet desert kibbutzes and at a music festival for peace.
The Jerusalem Post reports that 86 percent of respondents, including a staggering 79 percent of party supporters said that Israel’s leadership failed and 94 percent believe the government was not properly prepared and the country was not secured, with 75 percent holding the government accountable.
Over half of the respondents said Bibi must resign at the end of the war along with 28 percent of his party supporters. Additionally, 52 percent expect Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to resign and most noted they do not trust the government to lead the war on Gaza.
The poll was taken before the emergency government was forged. Bibi, Gantz and Gallant will lead the coalition. In a joint statement, Bibi announced that him and Gantz, who is also a centrist opposition party leader, will disregard their differences during this time “because the fate of our state is on the line.”
He also declared that Hamas is “worse than ISIS.”
Gallant stated: "We will wipe this thing called Hamas, ISIS-Gaza, off the face of the earth. It will cease to exist."
The emergency government will not be handling any unrelated policy during the war.
