National Unity party chairman Benny Gantz and opposition leader Yair Lapid exchanged blows on Sunday. The dispute began with an opinion piece Lapid published in Haaretz, in which he argued that Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot's entry into the government in October 2023 "saved Benjamin Netanyahu's political career."
Lapid added that if the two had listened to him, "Netanyahu would already be a pensioner."
In a pointed response, Gantz rejected the claims outright, insisting that his decision to join the government was aimed at saving the State of Israel - not Netanyahu.
"I regret the fact that while all our children were being drafted, you chose to sit on the sidelines and make political calculations," Gantz wrote to Lapid. He argued that joint participation in the War Cabinet would have strengthened the center and might even have prompted Itamar Ben-Gvir to leave the government.
Gantz detailed his achievements within the coalition, including halting the judicial overhaul legislation, providing backing for the military maneuver, and advancing efforts to bring the hostages home.
He concluded his statement with a jab at Lapid's party: "Yesh Atid voted in favor of our entry into the government."