At AIPAC, Lapid aligns with White House push to distinguish between Israel and Netanyahu

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government of picking a fight with US President Joe Biden’s administration for domestic political gain, advising pro-Israel activists attending the AIPAC conference in Washington to “not defend the government, defend the country.”

“The fight between our governments is unnecessary. It is meant for domestic politics,” he says via video conference. “We have people here, at the highest levels, who mistakenly think that it will help them with their political base. That is stupid, and you are allowed to say so out loud. It is also not what Israel feels.”

The comments appear to echo criticism coming out of the White House in recent days claiming that Netanyahu’s policies do not reflect most Israelis’ stances. Netanyahu has pushed back against the allegation.

“It is hard to defend a policy when you are not sure you understand it. When you are not sure there is one,” Lapid tells the participants in a speech largely focused on decrying resurgent antisemitism and pushing Israel’s right to defend itself.

At the same time, he largely avoids commenting on many areas where the US and Netanyahu’s government split, such as a threatened offensive in Rafah and the two-state solution.

Still, Lapid praises the US for “pushing forward the debate about the ‘day after’” fighting ends in Gaza. “It is essential,” he says, without elaborating.