Yair Lapid Reveals Plans for a Potential Government After the Elections

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid outlined the features of the government he seeks to form if he wins the upcoming elections and ousts the current coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, in exclusive statements to Maariv newspaper.

Lapid's Predictions for the Elections

Lapid reviewed his estimates for the results of the upcoming elections, predicting that the opposition coalition would win between 62 and 63 seats in the Knesset, which would allow him the opportunity to form a government from Zionist parties without the need to ally with Arab parties.
He said: "We will not ally with Arab parties in the next government, and Mansour Abbas, the head of the United Arab List, knows this very well," emphasizing that any role for Arab parties in the next government is out of the question.

Government Roadmap

Lapid outlined the priorities of his future government, which differ from Netanyahu's current policy, noting a focus on:
Supporting the middle class.
Attracting the Haredim by enacting military service.
Reducing the value-added tax on rental housing.
Reducing the number of government ministries to streamline public spending.
He explained that the annual support costs for the Haredim segment reach about 60 billion shekels, allowing for the reallocation of resources to improve education, support the economy, and reduce housing taxes.

Criticism of Netanyahu's Administration

Lapid directed sharp criticism at the current government, describing half of the ministries as unnecessary, and stating that spending on coalition ministries exceeds 5 billion shekels.
He said: "Netanyahu only cares about staying in power for another month or two, and does not even care about Likud voters." He added that the current government has failed in the areas of public security and reducing the cost of living.