From the Liveblog of
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Likud hits back at Lapid: ‘The greater the drop in the polls, the greater the incitement’
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. 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 has failed to condemn incitement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “even takes an active part in it,” Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party declares in a statement.
Responding to Lapid’s allegation that Netanyahu’s “incitement” against Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar will lead to “political murder,” the Likud argues that “when the prime minister is called a traitor and countless threats of murder are made — [Lapid] fills his mouth with water.”
“The greater the drop in the polls, the greater the incitement by Lapid,” the party alleges.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch also shoots back at Lapid, saying that the incitement against Netanyahu “crosses all boundaries.”
“As the chairman of the opposition, you are responsible for this and you cannot ignore it. We have already seen attempts to harm the prime minister. Lapid, it’s in your hands, stop it. You can’t say: ‘I didn’t know,'” he tweets.
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