MK Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition and Yesh Atid chairman, opened his faction meeting with a call on MKs to support a 'no confidence vote' that Yesh Atid will submit.
The following is Lapid's full statement:
One vote, in a few hours, and this evening Netanyahu won't be Prime Minister anymore. Without elections, without any chaos. Benny Gantz will be Defense Minister. Gabi Ashkenazi will be Foreign Minister. Avi Nissenkorn will be Justice Minister. Avigdor Liberman and Naftali Bennett will be senior ministers. Does anyone have any doubt that a government like that will do a better job managing the crisis?
Yesh Atid is proposing a constructive no confidence in the Netanyahu government today. Anyone who doesn't vote for it is a coward. I'm sorry but I don't have any other word for it.
This government isn't fit to lead the country through this crisis. The Prime Minister has failed in the management of the crisis. Anyone who knows that and doesn't vote no confidence, is simply a coward.
Look at these books, they are full of signatures. 120,000 signatures. 120,000 decent and patriotic Israelis signed a petition presented here which calls on the Knesset to vote no confidence in the government.
Two young Israelis, who aren't political, organized this petition because they care. Those that signed it still believe in this country. They haven't lost hope that the Knesset will do the right thing.
A whole generation of young Israelis is trying to tell us something.
Kahol Lavan know that this government is a failure. That's not a political statement. The infection rates in the country prove it. The unemployment rates prove it. The resignation of the leadership of the Finance Ministry proves it. The public has no confidence in the government. There is no chance that this government will be able to properly deal with the health and economic crisis. Gantz and Ashkenazi say so, they say it publicly. Bennett says so, publicly. Liberman says so, publicly.
Everyone knows what the problem is. Everyone knows who the problem is. Netanyahu failed. He is bad for Israel. He needs to go.
One vote, in a few hours, and this evening Netanyahu won't be Prime Minister anymore. That’s how it works. Without elections, without any chaos. Benny Gantz will remain Defense Minister. Gabi Ashkenazi will remain Foreign Minister. Avi Nissenkorn will remain Justice Minister. Avigdor Liberman and Naftali Bennett will be senior ministers.
Does anyone have any doubt that a government like that will do a better job managing the crisis? We will pass a budget. We will open up the lockdown. There will be immediate compensation for businesses. We'll go back to the traffic light system.
It will be a temporary government for one year. If necessary, we can agree together a date for the next election. There is no framework I'm not open to discussing but first let's remove a failed Prime Minister who is no longer doing his job.
One vote, we go into the Knesset plenary, press the green button and this evening the truck with Netanyahu's possessions leaves Balfour.
From that moment, we will only focus on the corona crisis and the economy. Everyone together. Haredi, secular, Jewish, Arab, everyone.
I call on Kahol Lavan and all the factions in the opposition to vote with us and create a new government in Israel.