Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded to a question asked by Arutz Sheva - Israel National News at the weekly Yesh Atid faction meeting on Wednesday about what his limits are in the negotiations to return the hostages still held in Gaza, including if he would be willing to permanently end the war and withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor.
Lapid answered: "My limits are what is on the table, what is wrongly called the 'Biden deal', but is actually the first outline that Netanyahu put on the table as early as May and which was later approved on July 27 and which should simply be implemented."
He explained that "all the professionals say it can be implemented, the defense establishment says 'we know how to meet these conditions', and there must be no delays by the Prime Minister. Currently there are delays and these delays must be overcome and the deal done."
Lapid added: "I hope that there will be a summit on Thursday and I hope that at this summit they will make the hostage deal. There is no greater task for Israeli society, there is nothing more urgent for the State of Israel and there is no possibility that we as a country will recover from the terrible disaster of October 7 if they do not make a hostage deal, we must make this deal."
Lapid was also asked about Israel's credit rating, which was downgraded to “A” from “A+” with a negative outlook by Fitch on Monday. Lapid answered that "the problem is not the war. Rating companies recognize that bad things happen in countries - terrible wars, terrible disasters, hurricanes. What they examine is the economic conduct - whether the government, whether the bodies responsible for the policy, are responsible in managing the economy."
He stated, "You have a government that doesn't manage the economy. And the rating companies just see it, and the foreign investors see it. There is a dramatic decrease in foreign investment in the State of Israel, it will dismantle the Israeli economy from the inside."