Likud Commentator Blames Lapid's Decision for Yesh Atid's Decline

Yaakov Bardugo, a commentator for Channel 14 and a Likud list candidate, asserted that opposition leader Yair Lapid's decision not to join the government after the October 7th Hamas attack significantly weakened his Yesh Atid party. Bardugo made these remarks during an interview with Shimon Riklin on the program "In Riklin's Sukkah."

Bardugo specifically pointed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's move to include opposition figures in the government in the early days of the war. He recalled Netanyahu's ability to understand the need to bring the opposition into the government on October 7th. Bardugo stated that Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot joined the government, but Lapid's refusal to do so was "the decision that crushed Yesh Atid."

When asked if this was the reason for Lapid's political decline, Bardugo responded, "In my estimation, this is it and nothing else. The understanding that I am not carrying the burden, that I am opposing at that moment, is the understanding that finished Yesh Atid."

During the same interview segment, Bardugo praised Netanyahu's conduct at the beginning of the war, describing him as calm and capable of navigating the situation, contrary to some public perceptions. He reiterated that Netanyahu's decision to invite opposition representatives to join the government was one of the most significant moments he recalled from that period.