Lapid Criticizes Netanyahu Over Security Briefing Amidst Plane Incident

Opposition leader Yair Lapid has sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of engaging in "irresponsible campaigning" by attempting to politicize security matters. Lapid's remarks came in the context of an incident involving a Flydubai plane carrying Israelis, which occurred shortly after Lapid had stated there was no cause for public panic.

Following the details of the plane incident becoming known, government officials criticized Lapid. In response, Lapid clarified that during a security briefing with Netanyahu the previous evening, he was not informed of any potential threat related to the flight. He emphasized that no indirect warnings about such scenarios were mentioned during his meeting with the Prime Minister.

Lapid asserted that his political opponents are exploiting security issues for political gain. "All this hype that their mouthpieces are creating now only proves what was clear yesterday, they are again trying to play cheap politics at the expense of Israel's security. An irresponsible campaign," Lapid stated.

Earlier, Lapid had called for an urgent security briefing from Netanyahu. The Prime Minister's office responded that Netanyahu regularly holds security meetings with Lapid, the last of which was on September 14, approximately two weeks prior to the current events. Lapid had previously revealed details about events that he claims led to his public warning about two weeks before the Hamas attack on October 7.