‘Need to Remove Him’: Yair Lapid Accuses Netanyahu of Undermining Election Results

Israel’s Opposition Leader Yair Lapid on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to undermine the election results and called for his removal from office, as opposition leaders met in Herzliya to coordinate their efforts to form the next government.

The meeting, held ahead of consultations with President Isaac Herzog on government formation, brought together leaders of several Zionist opposition parties, including Yashar chief Gadi Eisenkot, B’Yachad leader Naftali Bennett, Lapid, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman and Democrats chairman Yair Golan, according to The Times of Israel.

In a post on X, Lapid said the opposition was facing a “serious and dangerous attempt to undermine the election results”, but stressed that the bloc needed to form a government.

"The conduct of the past few days is just another reminder that we need to remove Netanyahu from the Prime Minister's Office," he added.

BENNETT BACKS EISENKOT’S GOVERNMENT BID

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reaffirmed his B’Yachad party’s support for Eisenkot’s efforts to form a government and called on opposition leaders to move quickly.

"The entire B’Yachad party will mobilise all its efforts to help Gadi Eisenkot form a government as soon as possible," Bennett said, according to The Times of Israel.

"We have no time to waste. We need to act with great urgency," he added.

Bennett also urged the opposition to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana of Likud and secure the mandate to form what he described as a “Zionist government of national repair”. He said such a government should bring about a “revolution for those who serve”.

OPPOSITION DIVIDED OVER ARAB PARTIES

In a separate development, Democrats chairman Yair Golan met Joint List leaders Yousef Jabareen and Ahmad Tibi on Tuesday for the first time since last week’s election.

According to a statement from the Democrats party, the leaders discussed coordination between their factions and ways to use their parliamentary majority to replace Netanyahu’s government. They also discussed issues affecting the Arab public and possible policy measures.

The parties agreed to continue coordinating towards the formation of a “change government”, the statement said.

Golan has publicly supported cooperation with Arab parties, including the possibility of their joining a future coalition. However, other leaders in the opposition bloc have ruled out sitting in a government with Arab-led parties.

Liberman has also rejected the possibility of a minority government dependent on their support. In a post on X, he said a stable government could be formed without Ra’am and the Joint List.

"We must prevent additional elections. In the political situation that has emerged, there is sufficient room for manoeuvre, and with proper navigation, it is possible to swiftly establish a functioning and stable government without Ra'am and the Joint List," he said.

NETANYAHU RULES OUT GOVERNMENT DEPENDENT ON ARAB PARTIES

Netanyahu said on Monday that he was open to forming a broad national government but ruled out an administration dependent on Arab-led parties.

In a post on X, he claimed that the Israeli public did not want a government reliant on Ra’am and the Joint List. He accused the parties of supporting terrorism and rejecting the existence of the Jewish state.

Netanyahu maintained that his Likud party’s position as the largest party gave him a mandate to form a broad government with its natural partners and other parties willing to join without supporting terrorism.

The opposition has stepped up efforts to build an alternative. Liberman has ruled out joining a Netanyahu-led coalition and said his party would recommend Eisenkot to President Herzog to form the next government. He has also backed Lapid for the post of Knesset Speaker, according to The Times of Israel.

Liberman acknowledged that the broader opposition alliance had fallen short of expectations, securing 48 mandates, and criticised Eisenkot’s campaign as “egotistical”. Nevertheless, his position aligns with Bennett’s B’Yachad faction in supporting Eisenkot’s bid.

GOVERNMENT FORMATION REMAINS UNCERTAIN

The broader opposition bloc secured 67 seats against 53 for the incumbent coalition in the 120-member Knesset. However, disagreements over cooperation with Arab-led parties could complicate its efforts to form a government.

President Herzog has urged political leaders to show flexibility and find a solution to avoid another election.

He is scheduled to receive the official election results on November 4, after which he will begin consultations with representatives of political factions. The newly elected Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on November 10.

With inputs from ANI