Former Israeli finance minister plans for 2016 elections
In exclusive interview to i24news, Yair Lapid takes aim at Netanyahu's leadership style
Three years into a political career and humbled by his drop in the polls in this year's elections, former Israeli finance minister and Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid, is nonetheless aiming high for the coming year.
In an interview to the i24news Morning Edition, Lapid takes aim at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership style, criticizing his "sit and do nothing" policy and his contribution to the demise in Israel-US relations.
Lapid, who earlier this week took to the stage at Bar Ilan University, to present his path to a two-state-solution with the Palestinians, told Yael Lavie that though he was disappointed with the Palestinians' rejection of the Framework agreement proposed by US Secretary of State John Kerry, Israel couldn’t use it as an excuse to abandon peace.
"The solution is there: we need to separate from the Palestinians, Israel cannot try to absorb 3.5 million Palestinians, because sooner or later they will come to us and say 'ok, we realize you're not going to give us a state, let us vote,'" said Lapid.
Asked if he had anyone he wanted to apologize to in the upcoming Day of Atonement, Lapid quickly noted his wife, but he also wished to apologize to anyone who may have been offended by his political rhetoric and promised to watch his tone in the future.
When it comes to his plans for the upcoming Jewish year, Lapid said he would like to wish Israelis a boring year, but predicted that it wouldn't be one, noting that his staff was already focusing on November 2016 as the time for new elections.
Watch the whole interview on i24news Morning Edition, September 22, 05:00 GMT.