Yair Lapid offered, declined senior role in Israeli wartime government - report

A senior member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud faction made an offer for Yesh Atid to join the government for a year in exchange for senior positions, including those belonging to Otzma Yehudit, N12 reported on Wednesday.

Two weeks ago, there was a meeting between a Likud senior official and a Yesh Atid senior official in which a proposal was made to establish a joint government for a year, but it was not stated what would happen at the end of the period, according to the report

Yesh Atid was offered to enter the government in exchange for senior positions of Otzma Yehudit, including the National Security Ministry, currently held by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

However, it was made clear that Ben-Gvir would remain in the government. Similar offers were made to Yisrael Beytenu chief MK Avigdor Liberman, as per the report.

Likud blasts report as attempt to 'disintegrate unity government'

Likud has responded to these claims by saying, "The publications about different proposals for Lapid and Liberman are completely false and pointless in an attempt to disintegrate the unity government during wartime."

"We would never sit in such a government," Yesh Atid said in a statement, arguing that the report illustrates Netanyahu's lackluster political position.

"This shows how much pressure Netanyahu is under...we will not be the ones to save him," Lapid's faction wrote.

Otzma Yehudit responds as well

An official from Otzma Yehudit also responded to the reports, saying, "The proposal by a senior in Likud to Yesh Atid to join at the expense of Otzma Yehudit is not surprising. In recent weeks, Likud has let Benny Gantz lead the policy of the small cabinet, and apparently, Likud is looking for backing from Yesh Atid. The time has really come for that same Likud senior official to decide whether he wants Yair Lapid's policy or Itamar Ben-Gvirs."