Lapid: Netanyahu pandering to Likud base
Yesh Atid chairman slams prime minister's ruling party, stresses need for social budget in Israel.
Speaking at a conference in Sderot, Lapid stressed his disagreement with Netanyahu's polarized party. "I told the government this week that Menachem Begin would not be accepted into Likud today. The veteran Likud members quietly agreed with me. I wasn't only talking about the 'nationality bill' but also about integrity, humility, and national priorities."
Lapid focused his critique on the debate surroudning the state budget. "A social budget is a budget that serves society, and no one else. It's a budget that, for once, is not dictated by special interests that have taken over Likud's base and have also penetrated other veteran parties. Previous governments did not create social budgets, instead surrendering to the well-connected or voters who will help them in primaries."
Lapid railed against the old system of widespread nepotism and corruption. "When you give handouts to your friends, there's no money left for the real problems with health, education, welfare, and cost of living."
"A social budget needs to give equal opportunities and chances," he continued. "An equal opportunity for every child in Israel and an equal chance for every young person who wants to start a new business."
The finance minister, who has come under attack for his party ran in the last election buoyed by the #J14 social protests, stressed the need for equality of opportunity throughout Israel. "A social budget is an MRI machine in Safed. It is good public healthcare for those who live in Haifa and in Naharia and in Be'er Sheva. A social budget means free medicine for Holocaust survivors, because otherwise we cannot call ourselves a just society."
Avital Lahav contributed to this report.
