Israel's Opposition Leader Says War Will Continue As Long As PM Netanyahu's Government Takes Power

Yair Lapid. (Wikimedia Commons/Adi Cohen Zedek)

Israel's Opposition Leader Says War Will Continue As Long As PM Netanyahu's Government Takes Power

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government " prefers war" and as long as war is still around, the war will continue, opposition leader Yair Lapid told his party members Yesh Atid during a faction meeting in Knesset.

Lapid said Netanyahu talked so much about Philadelphia Corridor during Monday night's press conference, so "Everyone doesn't realize he's said one more thing, even though he said it three times."

"He said: 'War must not end,'" Lapid said, launching The Times of Israel September 4.

"What Netanyahu said, what his cabinet told us, is that we are in a new version of Lebanon. It took us 18 years to leave Lebanon (and) they offered us the same: war over the years, economic crisis over the years, destruction and fear and violence over the years," explained the former prime minister.

"This is what the government has offered us. The war will continue. The eternal war that has and will never have an end date," said Lapid.

Earlier, PM Netanyahu received criticism from his cabinet ministers and politicians outside the cabinet regarding his stance on the Philadelphia Corridor and the ceasefire that allowed the exchange of Israeli hostages with Palestinian prisoners.

"The Israeli state needs to end this war, in its own way. Making a hostage-taking deal and closing the deal. Ending the war is in the interests of Israel, our interests (our), economic interests, political interests," said Lapid.

"We have a big task ahead of us. Form a regional coalition with Saudis and America to counter Iran's threats. Return the economy to the right path before it collapses. Rebuild the military in the face of the threats we face," explained the politician who once served as foreign minister.

"The current government doesn't know how to do all these things. That's why they prefer war. Because war frees them from the need to face challenges. We know how to face these challenges. We've done it before, we'll do it again, better. It's time to change the government and end the war," concluded Lapid.