Israeli opposition leader slams Netanyahu for alliance with far-right parties

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alliance with far-right religious parties, calling for a broad coalition to exclude them from power. Speaking on October 13, 2025, Lapid accused extremists of using democratic rules to undermine democracy and warned that those who empower them would become their first victims. He stated, "There is no point in drawing closer to extremists, trying to reach agreements with them or appeasing them, because they do not appreciate goodwill." His remarks followed the Knesset's dissolution and the approval of the Basic Law on Torah Study, which grants special legal status to yeshiva students and could facilitate exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews. Lapid urged a "broad and determined alliance against extremists" to prevent further concessions.