Lapid and Sa'ar Clash Over Foreign Election Results

A sharp verbal exchange erupted online between Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Monday, following Lapid's comments on recent election outcomes in Serbia and Brazil.

Lapid stated that two associates of Benjamin Netanyahu lost elections in Serbia and Brazil due to high voter turnout and national pride, asserting that "tomorrow the people of Israel will begin the correction, returning Israel to a path of hope and success." He specifically expressed dissatisfaction with the victory of Brazil's presidential-elect, Lula, emphasizing his preference for pro-Israel candidates. Lapid added, "Being a Netanyahu associate is now a political liability worldwide, including in Israel."

In response, Sa'ar accused Lapid of dismissing "two great friends of Israel", Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, as mere "associates of Netanyahu." Sa'ar highlighted that Lula has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, comparing it to the Holocaust, and claimed millions of children were killed in bombings. Sa'ar also criticized Lapid for echoing Lula's rhetoric, especially after Bolsonaro, who had promised to move Brazil's embassy to Jerusalem, questioned the Brazilian election results. Sa'ar questioned Lapid's understanding of Vučić's contributions to Israel during the war.

Sa'ar concluded by calling Lapid's actions "a disgrace and a moral low," accusing him of turning his back on Israel's friends to curry favor with those acting against it, and dismissing such political thinking as clownish.