Lapid calls to oust Netanyahu as PM: Israeli media
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In a wave of criticism against the Israeli Prime Minister, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid is calling for his ousting.
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Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid chairs the weekly cabinet meeting, in occupied al-Quds, on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022 (AP)
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid is calling to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from his position and replace him with another member from within the Likud party without an election.
Lapid said in an interview for Channel 12 that the public has lost faith in Netanyahu, following the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, and "can't run an extended [military] operation with a prime minister we do not have faith in.”
However, he did not name a potential nominee for the position but claimed that "there are several lawmakers in the party who understand it is time for Netanyahu to go."
In support of his statement, Labor chief Merav Michaeli wrote on X that she is glad to see Lapid join her call for Netanyahu to be replaced.
This comes after Israeli war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz reportedly on Monday opposed public calls for the replacement of Netanyahu during the war on Gaza, deeming such demands as "nothing less than crazy." However, Gantz acknowledged that a thorough examination of those responsible for the failures leading to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood will be necessary in the future.
Read next: Netanyahu to answer for October 7 failure after aggression ends
It is worth noting that Gantz is one of the prominent opposition figures to Netanyahu and a vocal critic of his judicial reform plans, however, he joined the war cabinet established over the aggression on Gaza.
This is happening as the Israeli Prime Minister and his army are at loggerheads on multiple issues, most notably the way he is handling the war on Gaza.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth has lately reported that there currently is a crisis of confidence between Netanyahu and the Israeli army, adding that Netanyahu is angry at the army, which he blames for everything that has happened. It is worth noting that Netanyahu has been reportedly collecting files that would see blame for the October 7 intelligence failure dumped on other officials amid Israeli discontent.
The Israeli Prime Minister had recently tried to absolve himself of the responsibility for the massive intelligence failure on October 7, as he said he received no warning regarding Hamas operations from either of the two intelligence apparatuses.
'Wrong man in the wrong place'
According to an earlier report by The Economist, the newspaper expressed that the Israeli occupation is witnessing a political battle over the conduct of the war, its repercussions, and who makes the decisions.
According to the newspaper, Netanyahu is “at the heart of this battle,” and he has been the dominant figure in Israeli politics for more than two decades.
The newspaper described Netanyahu as “the wrong man, in the wrong place, at the wrong time."
"The general opinion is that he has lost the confidence of the Israeli public opinion and has difficulty effectively running a war cabinet. He is also an unlikely candidate to achieve the two-state solution that the USA implicitly demands in exchange for his support of the offensive," The Economist added.
As for the settlers, a large part of the Israelis hold Netanyahu responsible for the failures that "led to the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7," according to the newspaper. "Despite the guilt of the heads of the army and the intelligence services, they remain much more popular than him," the newspaper added.
