Yair Lapid
Yair LapidFlash 90

MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid), whose party is growing in popularity, said on Saturday that he will "not join a left-leaning bloc" trying to bring down Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

In an interview with Channel 2, Lapid said, "I won't stop the left from forming a bloc, if that's what they want to do. We're not left, we're center, and we won't form a bloc with them."

"If people think differently and behave differently, there's no reason for them to join hands just for the sake of politics.

"I did not get into politics so that we could have 'something other than Netanyahu.' We have values, we have aspirations for the State of Israel."

Regarding his decision to run for Prime Minister, Lapid said, "During the Cabinet for Operation Protective Edge in 2014, I realized we were at a very important crossroads in our decision making. It was very simple and obvious who could keep cool, make decisions, and understand the situation thoroughly, and who could not. I will be able to handle things better."

"It's also a personal decision. Netanyahu is working alone. You can't run a country like Israel if you're alone. There were times that Netanyahu was surrounded by strong people, but he's not anymore."

Regarding the possibility of joining hands with former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and former Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, Lapid said, "I'm speaking with people from across the entire spectrum. I talk to MK Yitzhak Herzog (Zionist Union) a great deal, and we have much in common, including our worldview. He's someone I very much admire, and we continue to speak together about elections."

The Likud faction answered, "Lapid's empty criticism of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's actions during Operation Protective Edge rings hollow when we take into account Lapid's own words in 2014. 'The Cabinet acted responsibly during the entire operation, and carried out the operation properly,' is what Lapid said at the time. And who exactly ran the Cabinet? Lapid's failed stint as Finance Minister, his pretense of being capable of handling operations, is already laughable. It's nearly as laughable as his attempts to hide his leftist and anti-religious views."