Yesh Atid pulls back from no-confidence votes amid Iran war

Israel’s opposition party Yesh Atid, led by Yair Lapid, has announced it will no longer back motions of no confidence against the government during the ongoing war with Iran. The decision follows a recent controversy in the Knesset, where two party members voted in favor of a motion introduced by Arab parties.

A Yesh Atid spokesperson said the party’s stance is now “not to vote in favor of such motions during the conflict with Iran,” and described the earlier votes as “by mistake.”

The ruling coalition, however, remained critical. Chief whip Ofir Katz highlighted the votes in parliament, releasing footage of Hadash-Ta’al leader Ayman Odeh criticizing the government’s approach to Iran. “And who voted for it? Deputies from Yesh Atid. Incredible,” Katz said during a parliamentary session.

Despite the incident, opposition leaders have consistently expressed support for the Israeli government and military since the outbreak of hostilities. On February 28, just a day after the conflict began, Yair Lapid stressed the importance of political unity, declaring, “We are all united around the operation,” in the face of the security crisis.