From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Netanyahu’s government ‘incapable of winning war,’ Lapid declares after Smotrich clashes with IDF chief
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 declares that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “is incapable of winning the war” in the wake of Tuesday evening’s confrontation between Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the recently appointed IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir over the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
“So now the government ministers are also attacking the new ‘offensive chief of staff’ they chose, creating conflicts in the cabinet and running to tell [everyone],” he says. “It’s time to recognize the facts: this government is incapable of winning the war.”
Netanyahu’s government “had a year and a half, received full support from the Americans, full support from the opposition, and the excuses are over. Not Biden, not Herzi, not Gallant — it’s them,” Lapid says, referring to former US president Joe Biden, ex-IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi, and defense minister Yoav Gallant, all of whom drew significant criticism from members of Netanyahu’s cabinet.
“A government that encourages evasion [of military service by the ultra-Orthodox] has lost the trust of our heroic fighters, a government that is unable to define its strategy for the day after in Gaza will not bring victory. We will have to defeat Hamas under the next government. Now, bring back the hostages instead of blaming others all day for your failures,” Lapid says.
The Times of Israel Community.