Netanyahu and Lapid Clash Over Election Security Concerns

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid held a security briefing late Tuesday night following Netanyahu's statement that "there are signs our enemies will try to attack us ahead of the elections." Lapid, after the meeting, urged the public not to panic, stating that the IDF, Shin Bet, and police are prepared for the elections. He emphasized that security threats should be handled professionally and responsibly, not used for election campaign videos, and that updates should come from professionals, not politicians.

The Likud party criticized Lapid's swift response, suggesting his statement was prepared in advance. "Lapid left the meeting at 23:39. At 23:41, just two minutes later, at record speed, he published a statement. Either he writes at the speed of light or the statement was prepared in advance without connection to the review," the Likud stated, adding that Lapid's statement was a "political attack on the Prime Minister."

A security official refuted the Prime Minister's office's claim that an "urgent discussion" was held with the security cabinet before the meeting, clarifying it was a pre-scheduled event. This official also noted that there is "no specific alert" regarding any security threat. The meeting itself, a last-minute decision, took place in an unusual location.

Lapid had previously demanded a four-way meeting with Netanyahu, Shin Bet chief David Barnea, and the head of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, to ensure the democratic process is protected if there are genuine threats. Parties like "Yisrael Beiteinu" and "The Democrats" also voiced concerns, urging that security matters not be conflated with election politics and warning against using security threats to disrupt the elections.