Israel's Opposition Jani Secures Support To Netanyahu In Parliament If Signs Ceasefire In Gaza

Israel's largest opposition party leader Yair Lapid/screenshot via Instagram @yairlapid

JAKARTA - Israel's largest opposition party leader Yair Lapid promised to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in parliament to defend his post if ruling coalition members withdrew due to a ceasefire agreement.

Netanyahu authorized his officials to continue negotiations on a possible deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas to end the fighting in Gaza and release kidnapped Israeli hostages on October 7, 2023.

Some of the far-right partners in its coalition say they will step down if the war ends before Israel eradicates Hamas and releases the hostages, a result that could bring down Netanyahu's government.

Yair Lapid, party leader of Yesh Atid, said at a meeting of his parliamentary faction: "There is a hostage deal being discussed. It is not true that Netanyahu must choose between the hostages' agreement and the continuation of his term as prime minister," Reuters reported Monday, July 8.

"Let him make the deal," Lapid said. I promise him a safety net and I will keep that promise, he said, referring to the scenario if Netanyahu's coalition partners withdrew.

He said it was a difficult decision to make, given his refusal to Netanyahu, but the most important thing was to bring the hostages home.

The two far-right parties in the Netanyahu coalition that most opposed the ceasefire agreement have a total of 13 seats in Israeli parliament, while the Lapid party has 24 seats, according to parliamentary websites.