Lapid blasts police call for synagogue-goers to carry guns on Yom Kippur

“Our parents and children will be the ones to pay the price if Ben-Gvir and Smotrich continue running the show with political slogans and headlines,” warned the former premier.

By World Israel News Staff

Opposition leader Yair Lapid excoriated the government at the opening of the Yesh Atid faction meeting today (Wednesday), claiming Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost control of his own coalition.

“To act contrary to the Shin Bet and Prison Service’s recommendations regarding security prisoners can’t be called all-out right-wing, but outright lawlessness. Ben-Gvir is trying to get publicity for himself rather than save human lives,” Lapid claimed, referencing the Minister of National Security’s calls to make life harder for Palestinian terrorists serving time in Israeli prisons.

“Netanyahu has lost control of his ministers,” continued Lapid. “They are promoting their own dangerous policies. To tell Israeli citizens to come armed to prayer services on Yom Kippur doesn’t equal security. It amounts to cheap populism,” said the former Prime Minister.

Earlier this week, Israel Police advised Israelis who have gun licenses to carry their weapons to synagogue during the High Holy Day period.

According to a report in Israel Hayom, Lapid accused Smotrich and Ben-Gvir of “blind populism.” “Our children, who will be forced to fight in Jenin, Gaza, and maybe even Lebanon again, will be the ones to pay the price for his actions alongside our parents who will await their fate in bomb shelters.”

“Unlike my counterparts, I will not accuse the Israeli government of committing terror,” said Lapid, “but national policy cannot be managed with political slogans and running for headlines. If Netanyahu does not rein in Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, we will pay with human lives.”

“Instead of running away to the U.S., the Prime Minister should make it clear that he will restrain his irresponsible ministers, and cooperate with security advisors to calm the winds,” pointed out Lapid.

In February, Ben-Gvir issued an order that each security prisoner be limited to a four-minute-long shower, prompting a protest organized by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.

“We will not be deterred by threats from despicable terrorists in prison, and I am determined to continue to reduce their conditions to a minimum,” Ben-Gvir responded to the threats.

“Murderers of children and babies do not deserve treats,” he said. “We have started, and I intend to continue, tightening their conditions, and threats will not only fail to deter me but strengthen my conviction that we need to return law and order to our prisons.”

“We have decided to start a series of measures that begin with the disobedience of the prisoners and end with a hunger strike on the first day of the month of Ramadan,” they said. “We can no longer tolerate the continued abuse against us day and night since Ben-Gvir’s assuming power, as well as the attack on prisoners’ dignity.”

Earlier in the month, Ben-Gvir ordered the closure of pita bakeries in the Rimon and Katzeot security prisons, which were operated by prisoners themselves and supplied fresh pita bread to jailed terrorists.

“With these measures against the security prisoners, he (Ben-Gvir) is going to set the region on fire…We will respond to him with a war of liberation,” Israel National News quoted a letter from prisoners’ leaders.

“We are not ready to discuss our living conditions, and we will not fight for pita and showers. We are fighting for our liberation and the liberation of our homeland,” continued the letter.

“Every drop of blood that is spilled is a result of the adventures of the hilltop youth and offspring of Rabbi Kahane. We have nothing to lose. Those who decided to fight us will find that we are warriors. To those who threaten us with the law of death – our destiny is to be warriors, and our hope is to be martyrs for the liberation of the homeland.”

Benjamin NetanyahuBezalel SmotrichItamar Ben-GvirYair Lapid