Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid said Thursday evening at Yesh Atid's fourth conference that he was determined to bring about the formation of a new government, even if it required painful compromises and abandoning some of the promises opposition bloc parties had made to their voters.
Lapid said, "A government will be formed. It may take time. We may all go through a roller coaster of anxiety and fear before it happens, but a good government will be formed, one guided by values and worthy of the people of Israel".
He said failure to form a government would be unforgivable, "It would be madness if it were not formed. Because it would be an unforgivable act of national irresponsibility if it were not formed".
Lapid made clear that he was aware of the political costs involved in forming a coalition and that not all promises made to the public could be fulfilled, "The basic truth for anyone involved in running a country is this: There are no perfect governments. There are no perfect coalition agreements. Nothing in life is perfect at all".
He added, "We will make compromises. You cannot form a government without painful compromises. We probably will not manage to achieve all our goals and fulfill all our promises in the next six months-but a government will be formed".
Later in his remarks, Lapid surprised his audience by giving credit to his political rival, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, presenting him as someone from whom he had learned how to approach forming a coalition.
He said, "You know what, I will give credit where it is due. This is a lesson I learned from Benjamin Netanyahu: First, you form a government. Then you work to fix it, improve it and broaden it. That is what we will do now".
Lapid called on his political partners to show patience and determination in coalition negotiations, stressing that relations among the bloc's parties were better than the public perceived, "We all need to stay focused on the goal and have nerves of steel. The good news is-we are focused on the goal and we have nerves of steel, and the relationships within the bloc are much better than everyone thinks. A government will be formed".
In the second part of his remarks, Lapid addressed his political partnership with Naftali Bennett and the establishment of their joint framework, "Beyachad", making clear that he fully supported the move, "If there is one thing I am entirely at peace with, it is joining forces with Bennett and establishing 'Beyachad.' I am at peace with it in terms of values, and I am at peace with it politically. These are two parties, but they are one faction, and we are fully coordinated".
Lapid praised the people who had joined Bennett and the similarities between the two parties' outlooks, "Bennett has brought with him-this time-a wonderful group of capable, principled and worthy people whose worldview is very similar to ours. We will continue working together in the Knesset as one faction, and we will do everything we can to form a government together".
He concluded by emphasizing his personal and political commitment to the partnership with Bennett, "Bennett is a friend and a partner, and he understands, as we do, the fateful choices facing the State of Israel today. We will continue working together in the Knesset as one faction, and we will do everything we can to form a government together".