
MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi (Meretz) claimed Thursday that Foreign Minister Yair Lapid had promised to allow the return of the residents of two Arab villages in the Galilee who fled during Israel's War of Independence in 1948.
In an interview with Nas Radio, Zoabi "Lapid promised me a historic achievement - to bring back the residents of the two Palestinian Arab villages in the Galilee 'Iqrit' and 'Baram' who were deported in 1948. We started working, but it was stopped."
Minister Lapid wrote in response on his Twitter account: "It never happened and was never planned. This is a hallucination."
Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) tweeted in response: "The legacy of the Bennett government - the right of return. "The government of Lapid and Bennett are working with MK Zoabi, Abbas, Tibi and anti-Zionist forces to restore the right of return - we must overthrow this weak government and return the country to our leadership."
Likud MK Keti Shitrit said: "Lapid is in fact giving recognition in practice to the return and the Palestinian narrative of the Nakba."
Noam party chairman MK Avi Maoz said: "MK Nir Orbach, is this important enough for you to resign because of it? Are you ready to continue sitting in such an anti-Zionist coalition? Minister Shaked, is your red line crossed here? Maybe in this case you will finally muster the courage and live up to your values?"
MK Ofir Sofer (Religious Zionism party) said: "This opportunistic negotiation is designed to erase the Jewish state in every way. There will be no right of return."