Lapid rules out working with far-right Otzma Yehudit party as it heads to opposition

By Sam Sokol 20 January 2025, 3:00 pm

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Sam 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"

Opposition leader Yair Lapid speaks at a Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset, January 20, 2025. (Sam Sokol/Times of Israel)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says that he will not work with Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party now that it has left the coalition.

“Yesh Atid will not cooperate with Otzma Yehudit but if a bill to dissolve the Knesset were submitted we would vote together to bring down the government,” Lapid tells reporters ahead of his party’s weekly faction meeting.

“[Ben Gvir] is not invited to any [opposition] meeting or to any table where I am sitting.”