Lapid slams Netanyahu as 'Israel' faces global backlash
3 Min Read
Yair Lapid blasts Netanyahu for isolating "Israel" as EU and UK suspend key deals over Gaza war and diplomatic rift deepens.
-
Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid meets with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., Tuesday, April 9, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington (AP)
In a fresh sign of deep political divisions within the Israeli establishment, opposition leader Yair Lapid launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of isolating "Israel" diplomatically and weakening its ties with both the US and Europe.
In a pointed critique of Netanyahu, Lapid said: “President Trump brought you to Washington and told you he had resumed negotiations with Iran, without even bothering to update you beforehand. Then he sat beside you in front of the world’s cameras and repeated the same message.”
He added, “Israel is now in a post-tsunami moment; nothing but ruin and devastation. Our ties with Europe and the Americans have been wiped out.”
Netanyahu responds to Lapid
In response to Lapid’s remarks, Netanyahu said the opposition’s agenda could be summed up in one line: their only real goal is to bring down the government.
These statements come amid an unprecedented period of internal turmoil in "Israel", driven by deep political divisions, disputes over judicial reforms, in addition to a global shift in the rhetoric against "Israel" and rising diplomatic tensions with its historical allies.
EU reviews agreement with 'Israel'
Tensions between "Israel" and the European Union have escalated after the European Commission announced its decision to initiate a formal review of the EU-"Israel" association agreement, sparking concerns and uncertainty about the future of their diplomatic and economic relations.
The decision, driven by growing international alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, may result in a partial halt to EU collaboration with "Israel" shortly, according to a high-ranking EU diplomat who spoke to Al Monitor.
On May 20, seventeen out of the EU’s 27 member states supported a Dutch-led initiative to reassess the association agreement, as EU officials grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of substantial action from the Israeli government to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
UK sanctions 'Israel' over Gaza
The United Kingdom has suspended free trade negotiations with "Israel" and introduced fresh sanctions targeting West Bank settlers, as Foreign Minister David Lammy confirmed on Tuesday, following the launch of "Israel's" ground offensive in Gaza, signaling a heightened response to what critics describe as the occupying state's genocidal military campaign.
Foreign Minister David Lammy emphasized that the ongoing military offensive would not secure the release of captives, while calling on "Israel" to facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza and condemning what he described as rising "extremism" within segments of the Israeli government.
"We cannot stand by in the face of this new deterioration. It is incompatible with the principles that underpin our bilateral relationship," Lammy stated, adding, "Frankly, it's an affront to the values of the British people."
