Yair Lapid
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Lapid: Netanyahu should admit he was wrong and go fix it
The Yesh Atid leader, who was a member of the Security Cabinet during Operation Protective Edge, accuses the prime minister of 'dealing non-stop with politics' instead of Israel's security; 'The prime minister cannot continue treating the cabinet as if it were his own press conference, and neither can the ministers,' Lapid argues.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday of "dealing non-stop with politics" instead of Israel's security during Operation Protective Edge, arguing that Netanyahu should "admit he was wrong and go fix it."
The prime minister, Lapid said, "is busy with his image and the media and politics instead of dealing with the war itself. This is the longest war we've had since the War of Independence. There are (bereaved) families demanding answers, and they deserve answers. The answer they deserve is: Yes, mistakes happen during war. Wars don't happen in lab settings."
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid in the Ynet studio
Lapid, who was the finance minister and a member of the Security Cabinet during the 2014 war in Gaza, defended his own conduct during the operation in the wake of the State Comptroller's report, which was released on Tuesday.
"The comptroller personally reprimanded the prime minister, but not me or the other ministers," Lapid told Ynet. "On the contrary, this report proves that we could not ask (the necessary questions) because we did not receive the information."
In hindsight, he said, "what makes me angry is the fact we were sitting in a cabinet that was supposed to vote on a ground operation and other actions without having received all of the information during the year or year and a half that preceded it."
"The comptroller wasn't able to determine whether the information was withheld intentionally, or if this was just negligence," he added. "Either option is bad in my opinion."
Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: AP)
And while the fact Netanyahu decided not to update the cabinet on certain matters was "wrong and against the law," Lapid asserted that "if you choose not to bring it to the cabinet, at least order the military to handle the tunnels. He's not a commentator, he's the prime minister. He's not sitting on the fence, he's not an advisor. He was supposed to give the directive."
He argued that the political leadership should follow in the IDF's footsteps and learn the necessary lessons from the war.
"The IDF acted—even before the comptroller report—with integrity and bravery, the kind of which I don't see in the political establishment," Lapid said. "If you see a problem, don't hide from it. Don't deny it. Don't say 'I was the first to see the problem.' Go and fix it. The military has done this, and I praise it for that, and the political establishment should do the same."
With regards to the lessons the political leadership should learn, Lapid asserted that "the prime minister cannot continue treating the cabinet as if it were his own press conference, and neither can the ministers."
In this context, he accused other ministers of "leaking (information) non-stop" from cabinet meetings.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
He spoke of the need to pass legislation that would clarify the cabinet's roles and authorities and ensure the ministers had the tools they need to work with, as well as about the need to appoint a new national security advisor—as the post has been vacant since December 2015.
"The report needs to be implemented, so we don't get to the next operation in the same shape. And the prime minister, instead of blaming the comptroller, the press and other politicians, should go and fix what needs fixing," Lapid argued.
He rejected claims that the comptroller report was political in nature and that there were political interests behind it.
"This is a contemptible claim. The comptroller was appointed by the prime minister, as was the police commissioner and the attorney general. They're all personal appointments (Netanyahu) made. For him to claim now that politics are at play because he doesn't like the fact they're doing their job faithfully, is something that should not happen."
The Likud party responded to Lapid's comments, saying "It's best that a man whose military record comes down to writing for the Bamahane magazine, and his managerial experience comes down to hosting a TV show, should speak more modestly on matters of state security."
