Opposition leader Yair Lapid took off this morning (Thursday) for a vacation in Paris with his wife Lihi. This is while the High Court of Justice is holding a hearing on the appointment of Aryeh Deri as a minister, and leftists are protesting outside the Supreme Court - drawing great anger from members of the left bloc on social media.
MK Ariel Bosso of Shas sneered: "Instead of going out to the bridges, you're flying? No seriously.".
On the other hand, MK Merav Cohen of Mish Atid will apologize for the embarrassment: "What he does on a private weekend with his own money is his business and it's really not the main thing. Yair is committed to the fight with all his might.".
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Journalist Ben Caspit responded: "If he had asked me, he wouldn't have had to fly in the symbolic context, but he's a different person, he's not Netanyahu.".
Journalist Zion Nanos: "Yair Lapid talks about a state of emergency and the destruction of democracy. Crude things. But when the next morning the first thing he does is, let's say, not show up for a demonstration but go to Paris - what message exactly is he sending?".
Media person Goel Vakanin: ""Despite the severe cold wave in France Yair torch "He's risking his life to demonstrate on the bridges in Paris. They aspired.".
In a post he published on his Facebook, Lapid addressed the criticism from home: "On Wednesday night I worked late, as always. On Thursday I went for a weekend with Lihi. Thursday to Sunday morning. I don't know if I deserve it, but I'm sure she deserves it.
""It was the craziest year and a half of our lives. She didn't join me on any official trips, neither as foreign minister nor as prime minister. We didn't have any big plans. See an exhibition, have a romantic dinner, do a lot of walking. But then it turned out that a lot of people had a lot of things to say about it. They decided that if I wasn't here for two and a half days, it meant I wasn't committed to the fight for Israeli democracy. I hate to be defensive and I hate to complain, but there's a limit.
""My entire life is dedicated to the fight for Israeli democracy. There is nothing more important to me. I have lost millions of shekels and added thousands of white hairs, but I do not regret it for a moment. The fight for the sanity of the State of Israel is a sacred mission. It is a great privilege to lead the people who have decided that they will not give up.
""It doesn't occur to me for a moment to retreat, give up, or make compromises. It did occur to me that after leading a military operation, an agreement with Lebanon, tense daily management of the campaign in Jenin and Nablus, a difficult election campaign, I want to take two and a half days to breathe a moment, think a moment, walk with my beloved hand in hand through the streets of Paris and ask her how she's coping.".
""I paid for the plane tickets with my own money, we paid for the small apartment near the Eiffel Tower, and also the meals and the traditional gift for Yali. I understand that there are those who suspect me of enjoying myself. They are right. We both needed this trip like air to breathe. On Sunday I will return, to continue the struggle with all my might, until we overthrow this terrible government.".
The opposition leader at Ben Gurion Airport, en route to Paris.
(Photo by Moshe Mizrahi) pic.twitter.com/757Mt1vE8s— Attila Somfalvi (@attilus) January 5, 2023
