Netanyahu's Campaign Video Comparing Political Opposition to Schoolyard Bullying Draws Fire

Opposition leader Yair Lapid on Sunday denounced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new campaign video, which draws a parallel between children facing social exclusion and what the video terms a "political boycott" against Netanyahu and the Likud party. Lapid asserted that claims of a "boycott" against Netanyahu are false, citing the Prime Minister's refusal to form a government without National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after the October 7th attacks.

The Likud video depicts a mother preparing protest signs with the slogan "Only Not Bibi" after learning her son is being bullied at school. She discards the signs, and the video concludes with the message "Putting an end to boycotts" and the Likud logo.

Responding to the video, Lapid stated, "Let's put aside for a moment the disgusting use of the tragedy of children being boycotted." He added, "It's time to get rid of the lie called 'They boycotted Bibi so he was forced to form a government with Ben-Gvir.' Netanyahu never wanted any other government. He did not offer, he did not probe."

Lapid recalled that he proposed forming a government without Ben-Gvir on October 7th, but Netanyahu was unwilling to consider it. "He always only wanted the government with Ben-Gvir and the ultra-Orthodox, an extreme draft-dodging government. That is what he wants now too," Lapid concluded.