Smotrich to Lapid: We will leave you disgruntled in the opposition for many years

By Hezki Baruch, INN       Mar 14, 2023, 11:38 PM (GMT+2)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is currently on a visit to the United States, responded on Tuesday evening to opposition leader Yair Lapid, who called Smotrich’s visit to the US “embarrassing and horrifying”.

“In the pages of the history of the State of Israel, you will only be remembered as one who did everything to lead us into a civil war. You also tried to recruit American Jews for your BDS campaign against the State of Israel. We will not allow you to succeed. We will mend the fractures, heal and unite, we will fix what needs fixing in our beloved country, and we will leave you disgruntled to shout from the opposition for many years,” Smotrich responded.

Earlier, Lapid welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive, published on Channel 12 News, that government ministers will not be allowed to travel to the United States as long as Netanyahu himself does not travel there and is not invited to an official meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House.

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Ministers who do fly to the US, will not meet with US government officials, just as was the case with Smotrich. The only minister allowed to fly to official meetings in Washington is Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, who serves as a kind of emissary on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Lapid said in response, “Netanyahu instructed the ministers not to meet with the Americans until the President of the United States invites him to the White House. After the horrifying embarrassment of Smotrich’s visit – that’s an excellent idea.”