Opposition leader Yair Lapid continues to refuse to issue a joint statement with Minister Miri Regev that would prevent anti-government protests on Israel's Independence Day (April 25, 2023).
"We will not pretend that we are celebrating together and that everything is fine while the government is tearing apart the people of Israel and erasing democracy, and we will not sit back and watch another embarrassing show of flattery for the Netanyahu family," he was quoted as saying.