Former premier also says that under PM Netanyahu \u2018Jewish terrorist violence\u2019 in West Bank is \u2018out of control\u2019
\nJERUSALEM
\nIsrael\u2019s opposition leader Yair Lapid on Monday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s government of leading to a \u201ctotal loss of Israeli deterrence\u201d in the wake of an unprecedented Iranian attack.
\nIn a scathing criticism posted on X, former premier Lapid also said that under Netanyahu, \u201cJewish terrorist violence\u201d against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank was \u201cout of control\u201d.
\nNetanyahu, who returned to power in late 2022 at the helm of a coalition with far-right parties, has brought \u201cheaps of destruction from Beeri to Kiryat Shmona\u201d, Lapid said, calling for early elections.
\nBeeri, a kibbutz community near the Gaza border, came under attack when Hamas militants stormed the area on October 7, triggering the ongoing war, while the northern town of Kiryat Shmona has suffered during months of cross-border fire between Israeli forces and Lebanon\u2019s Hezbollah.
\nLapid\u2019s remarks came two days after Iran \u2014 which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah \u2014 launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for a deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
\nIsrael, the United States and other allies intercepted nearly all launches in the late Saturday aerial attack \u2014 the first direct Iranian military action against arch foe Israel.
\nNetanyahu\u2019s cabinet has weighed Israel\u2019s response to the Iranian attack, but the prime minister has not made any public comments.
\nIn the West Bank, where violence has soared since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli settlers torched Palestinian homes and cars over the weekend, killing at least two people, after an Israeli teen was \u201cmurdered in a suspected terrorist attack\u201d, according to the Israeli military.
\nPointing to surging \u201cterrorist\u201d settler attacks, Lapid said: \u201cIf we don\u2019t move this government, it will bring destruction upon us.\u201d
\nThe government, which includes hardline settlers, has prioritised Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967.
\nNetanyahu has faced in recent months mass protests over the fate of hostages held in Gaza and pressure from a resurgent anti-government movement.
\nThe prime minister\u2019s Likud party responded to Lapid in a statement stressing Netanyahu\u2019s part in \u201cthe global campaign\u201d to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons \u2014 which Tehran denies it is seeking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former premier also says that under PM Netanyahu \u2018Jewish terrorist violence\u2019 in West Bank is \u2018out of control\u2019 JERUSALEM Israel\u2019s opposition leader Yair Lapid on Monday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s government of leading to a \u201ctotal loss of Israeli deterrence\u201d in the wake of an unprecedented Iranian attack. In a scathing criticism posted on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":400341,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-400316","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n