In an interesting turn of events Thursday, Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid attacked opposition head Yitzhak Herzog after the latter used a Knesset discussion on poverty to rail against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Accusing the Labor leader of letting the government “drag us out into a schoolyard fistfight,” Lapid demanded the opposition re-focus its attention on the real issues facing Israel.
Without referring explicitly to the stormy Knesset session, Lapid wrote on Facebook: “What are our real problems? What must we take care of? A knife intifada, cooperation between Hamas and ISIS, the crisis with the US and the world, corruption, the future of our children.”
“What about these? What kind of future do we want for our children?” Lapid continued. “Do we really want to give them a hateful country where everyone holds each other by the throat…or one in which people with different opinions know how to and can live together.”
“It’s much easier to yell than to solve problems,” he added. “It’s a lot easier to fan hatred than to run the country. Instead of a serious discussion on serious issues, we are competing in a smear competition. Instead of demanding the government do its job, we are letting it drag us out into a schoolyard fistfight. Instead of protecting the security of residents, restoring our standing in the international arena, or fighting corruption – the government writes talkbacks.”
Hours after Lapid himself attacked Netanyahu on Twitter for not denouncing “incitement” against President Reuven Rivlin – the source of Herzog’s own frustration – he turned his anger to the Labor leader’s “refusal” to condemn the actions of Breaking the Silence.
“It’s a disgrace,” Lapid tweeted. “Breaking the Silence hurts and defames the IDF around the world. It spreads lies against our soldiers who are also our children. It would be more suitable for MK Herzog to defend IDF soldiers than radical leftist organizations.”
Herzog, in response, dismissed Lapid’s charge, asserting he understood the Yesh Atid chairman “was searching for prominence. You don’t need to be fighting me. Bibi needs to be replaced. Instead of tweeting, lend me a hand. Together we will win.”