From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 23, 2026
Lapid: If war with Iran comes, internal conflicts ‘will be put into deep freeze’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
After excoriating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid nevertheless avows that Israel will stand as one in the face of any escalation with Iran.
Lapid tells the Knesset plenum that if war with Iran comes, “all differences of opinion will be put into deep freeze” until the conflict is over.
“As in the past, I will mobilize for Israeli public diplomacy and strengthening Israel’s international status,” he declares. “As in the previous attack, I will go wherever necessary, from CNN to the British parliament, and tell them: ‘You know that I am the head of the opposition, you know that Netanyahu and I are rivals, but Iran must be attacked with full force, the rule of the ayatollahs must be overthrown.'”
Before those comments, Lapid blasts Netanyahu, saying that his historical legacy will be defined “only” by October 7.
“I understand the attempt to write a different history. You know the truth. That’s what scares you so much. History will only remember you for October 7,” Lapid says, referring to Netanyahu’s efforts to deflect blame for the devastating Hamas attack. “How you didn’t see where the suitcases of money from Qatar were leading. How you didn’t see where the wrong, destructive policy of strengthening Hamas was leading.”
Lapid also takes aim at the Prime Minister’s Office’s effort to remove the word massacre from a bill commemorating October 7, stating that “when babies are burned, when entire families are murdered in a mass murder, it’s not an event, it’s a massacre. There will be no stronger or more significant association, nothing else that will define your term as prime minister, other than the October 7 massacre.”
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