Violence will soon break out among Israelis, because of incitement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his loyalists and the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus, opposition leader Yair Lapid warned at the Ma’ariv newspaper’s OECD Conference on Sunday.
Speaking to Ma’ariv analyst Ben Caspit, Lapid said Netanyahu’s continued attacks on Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit were “completely irresponsible.”
“It is going toward violence,” Lapid predicted. “People are in despair, because they don’t have what to eat.”
Lapid blamed his former political partner, Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz, for facilitating the formation of the government. He said he was not impressed by Gantz and other Blue and White figures starting to criticize Netanyahu.
“It’s nice that they criticize, but we already have a state comptroller,” Lapid said. “The question is whether they can succeed in preventing something.”
Lapid said he would be the main challenger to Netanyahu in the next election but declined to predict when it would take place.
Asked if former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot would run together with him, Lapid said: “Gadi is a terrific person. I hope he and other good people go to politics. But if it continues the way it has been lately, they won’t want to enter politics.”