Lapid slammed by Bennett, Likud for criticizing PM after Hezbollah attack

Head of Blue and White attacked for saying Netanyahu was mistaken when he described actions taken by Israel in Lebanon, Syria.

By HAGAY HACOHEN
Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz speaking with Blue and White Party supporters, 2019. (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)
Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz speaking with Blue and White Party supporters, 2019.
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)
The co-head of Blue and White, Yair Lapid, was slammed on Sunday by former education minister Naftali Bennett and the Likud for saying the skirmish with Hezbollah was caused by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his decision to openly claim responsibility for strikes in Syria in late August.
“The children of the north are in bomb shelters,” Lapid wrote, “for one reason only. Netanyahu veered away from the successful policy of keeping things under wraps.”
Bennett slammed Lapid in response, placing the full responsibility o the skirmish on the shoulders of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah. According to Bennett, Nasrallah decided to attack IDF soldiers in retaliation for a “correct” decision by the Netanyahu government, to “prevent Hezbollah from upgrading their rockets so they could hit…into the house window, including [the homes] of Israeli children.”
“Lapid made a bad mistake when he chose to dabble in small-minded politics at the expense of IDF troops when they are fighting Hezbollah,” Likud said in a press release.
“We can’t let a dangerous and irresponsible man like Yair Lapid become Prime Minister.”
Blue and White is officially led by former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and Lapid.  Should the party win by a landslide in the upcoming elections the two men are to share the office of PM, with Gantz serving for the first two years and Lapid for the following two years.