Ayelet Shaked
Ayelet ShakedYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked (Yamina) is skeptical about the possibility that Yair Lapid will be appointed Prime Minister as part of the rotation agreement with current Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and has harsh words when talking about some members of the government.

In recordings from recent days published on Channel 12 News on Wednesday, the Interior Minister is heard saying, "Lapid is a superficial person - every week he carries out an attack and Naftali rescues [him], and no one knows [about it]."

Shaked said of Defense Minister Benny Gantz, "Gantz will dismantle everything. He is not a Prime Minister at all. Worse than Lapid. Even worse, I do not know."

Shaked claimed that Lapid was carrying out “diplomatic attacks”, as she put it. "He did it about three times - against the Jordanians, against the Americans, and against ... and Naftali rescued. Unequivocally."

Regarding the rotation of Bennett and Lapid in the post of Prime Minister, the Interior Minister is not particularly optimistic. "I have no answer to that. I do not know what will happen. We will wait another two years and see. It depends on whether there is a crisis or not. We will see."

Lapid's office said in response to Shaked's recordings, "They spoke, they straightened things out, Lapid said, 'People get angry sometimes, you don't have to make a fuss about every nonsense.'"

A statement from Shaked said, "These things were said in a closed conversation in the heat of the moment after briefings were published against the minister. Minister Shaked regrets these remarks and is sorry if they offended anyone."

The Religious Zionist Party said in response to Shaked's recordings, "The cat is out of the bag. Bennett and Shaked impose on us someone who even they know is carrying out diplomatic attacks on the country and is not qualified. Bennett and Shaked's lust for a seat endangers Israel."

The Likud said, "It is time for action and not for talk."