Yair Lapid Threatens to Sue Itamar Fleishman Over Nazi Allegations

Opposition leader Yair Lapid announced his intention to sue Itamar Fleishman following a harsh attack on Lapid during the TV program "The Patriots" on Channel 14. Fleishman accused Lapid of fueling antisemitic conspiracies in the United States, comparing his conduct to collaboration with Nazi propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl and stating that Lapid "helps the Nazis." The confrontation began after Lapid's recent interview on CNN's "The Lead," where he described Jewish violence in Judea and Samaria as "Jewish terror" and said he would deploy police and Border Police battalions to handle it, emphasizing that these perpetrators are terrorists, not settlers.

Fleishman claimed Lapid's statements could have deadly consequences for American Jews, accusing him of pandering to U.S. audiences while exacerbating antisemitic narratives targeting Netanyahu and settlers. He criticized Lapid's understanding of U.S. politics and highlighted the rise of antisemitism within the Democratic Party, referencing New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani, who took office in 2026. Fleishman also condemned the silence of "soft right" figures and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

During the broadcast, Fleishman named conservative media figures like Tucker Carlson and far-right activist Nick Fuentes as spreading antisemitic conspiracies, labeling them "Nazis" and accusing Lapid of strengthening these elements. This marked a sharp shift in the Israeli right's previous favorable view of Carlson, who was once seen as a key conservative ally. Fleishman later clarified he did not directly compare Lapid to Nazis but accused him of fueling Nazi-like antisemitic conspiracies.

Lapid responded on social media, recalling his family's Holocaust history and calling Fleishman and his associates a "bunch of toxic lunatics," declaring he would sue them to the fullest extent. Fleishman replied on X (formerly Twitter), welcoming the lawsuit and reaffirming his stance that Lapid irresponsibly amplifies dangerous antisemitic myths in the U.S., invoking his own family's Holocaust experience as context.

This dispute highlights deep political and ideological divisions within Israel regarding the handling of settler violence and the broader implications for Jewish communities abroad. Lapid's legal move signals escalating tensions between him and right-wing media figures like Fleishman.