Lapid reiterates he’ll back government if Yesh Atid’s votes needed to okay hostage deal

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid leads Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset on April 15, 2024. (Chaim Goldbergl/Flash90)
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid leads Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset on April 15, 2024. (Chaim Goldbergl/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid reiterates his pledge to provide the government support to approve a hostage deal, as far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are reportedly threatening to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu’s coalition if a planned offensive in Rafah is called off as part of a hostages-for-ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

“There is a majority among the people and in the Knesset for deal, and if you need to get rid of Ben Gvir and Smotrich I will give you 24 votes in the government,” Lapid writes on X, formerly Twitter, referring to the number of parliamentary seats his Yesh Atid party holds.

“We must bring [the hostages] home.”

In the post, Lapid shares an article from the Ynet news site that quotes an unnamed official involved in the hostage negotiations blaming Netayanhu for holding up a deal, accusing him of expressing support for a deal “in more limited forums” before shifting his position during security cabinet meetings due to political pressure from Smotrich and Ben Gvir.

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