‘Together we will win’ - Netanyahu meets with opposition head Yair Lapid for war briefing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday with opposition leader Yair Lapid for a security briefing on Operation Rising Lion. 

While Lapid and his opposition allies have been bitter opponents of Netanyahu for several years now, Lapid made it clear that the opposition provides full support for the goals of the operation. 

Shortly after the meeting, Netanyahu's office released two photos, one showing the two shaking hands and the other during the meeting, with the prime minister's military secretary and his chief of staff. 

By law, the prime minister is required to update the head of the opposition on security matters on a regular basis, which Netanyahu has continued to do since the start of the Oct. 7 Iron Swords War with Gaza. 

While Lapid has been outspoken in his opposition to Netanyahu, during an interview with the Associated Press on Monday, Lapid said, “It’s not the right moment to do politics.” 

However, he did not deny his continued opposition to Netanyahu’s government, saying, “Yes, this government needs to be toppled, but not in the midst of an existential fight.” 

The meeting took place a day after a televised press conference, in which Netanyahu updated the Israeli public on the achievements of the operation. 

During the press conference, Netanyahu stated that “We have achieved air control, Israel controls Tehran's skies. We paved an air highway to Tehran and we control it.”  

He also detailed achievements, such as the elimination of 10 nuclear scientists, a strike on Iran's main enrichment facility at Natanz, and the destruction of “factories for creating centrifuges.” 

Since the beginning of the Israeli attacks on Iran on Friday morning, opposition leader Yair Lapid has spoken with a number of senior diplomatic figures, including foreign ministers from countries in the region and elsewhere. 

In those conversations, Lapid stated that he had received an early briefing on the operation. He also made it clear that the opposition supports the goals of the operation, not the coalition government. Lapid has also said that maintaining a united front is essential for strengthening Israel's international legitimacy. 

“We didn’t rally behind the government,” Lapid said in an interview with France 24. “We rallied behind the necessity to operate on the moment that was inevitable.” 

Netanyahu, who has warned about the Iranian threat for most of his 16 years as prime minister, faced many accusations of delaying the Gaza War in order to avoid the consequences of a corruption trial and to maintain power as part of his coalition with right-wing parties such as Religious Zionism and Jewish Power. 

Netanyahu’s supporters argue that all of his actions in the Gaza War have attempted to lead to this confrontation with Iran, in the hopes of finally confronting the state which has sponsored many terror proxies attacking Israel. 

“Benjamin Netanyahu is a bitter political rival,” Lapid told France 24. “I think he’s the wrong person to lead the country. But on that, he was right.” 

After the Israeli attack on Iran on Friday, Israeli opposition leaders responded by declaring support for the security forces and the goals of the operation. However, the public announcements by the opposition politicians did not include support for Netanyahu. 

Lapid’s Yesh Atid party said in a statement following the start of the conflict that "Opposition leader Yair Lapid received an update before the operation through the usual channels. Lapid congratulates the security forces and strengthens them in their action to maintain the security of the citizens of Israel.” 

Yisrael Beitenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman also released a statement saying that Israel is “not afraid. We will defeat all our enemies.” 

“I strengthen our forces in their important mission to maintain the security of the citizens of the State of Israel,” Lieberman said. Members of Lieberman's party told Hebrew media, "Right now we are at war. In war, there is no politics.” 

Democrat Chairman Yair Golan released a statement praising "a strong people, a determined army and a strong home front.” 

“That's how we've always won, and that's how we'll win today,” he said.