Opposition leader Yair Lapid took to social media Tuesday to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comparison between the deaths of victims of the Oslo Accords and those of the October 7 massacre.
Lapid took to his X account (formerly Twitter) and denounced it as an "evil political campaign." He stated that "Israel is at war," and emphasized that the nation is mourning the loss of its soldiers.
Lapid expressed his heartbreak upon seeing the images of the fallen soldiers every morning. He found it incomprehensible that a prime minister could display such detachment and cynicism during this time. He accused Netanyahu of launching a malicious political campaign solely to deflect responsibility for Hamas's attack and shift blame onto others. According to Lapid, Israel deserves a different leader.
What did Netanyahu say about the reconstruction of Gaza?
On Monday, Netanyahu made the comparison during a session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. When questioned by Labor head Merav Michaeli about the aftermath of the war, she argued that only a political deal and a two-state solution could attract financial investment and aid for Gaza's reconstruction. Michaeli stated that without a political foothold, destroying Hamas would only pave the way for something worse.
In response, Netanyahu claimed that "the original sin is [the Oslo Accords]. After Oslo, the casualty count remained the same. The problem lies not in the agreement itself, but in the introduction of the most anti-Zionistic and anti-Jewish elements into the heart of our country." Throughout the debate, Netanyahu avoided addressing proposals for reoccupation and renewed settlement in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu responded to MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) who raised concerns about the Gaza situation by highlighting the potential costs of annexation. According to two sources present at the discussion, he stated, "We could settle there, but we must consider the price."
When questioned about the situation in the Gaza Strip after the war, Netanyahu outlined his goal of demilitarization, to be followed by the area's rehabilitation led by the Arab world and Gulf states.