Putin stars in Israeli election campaigns

Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu called a press conference July 26 to deliver what he described as a special statement. As soon as the participating journalists assembled, they realized that Netanyahu really called the event to launch a new attack on Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz. He chose to accuse them of acting irresponsibly in a serious crisis involving Israel’s relationship with Russia.

"We are in the midst of a dangerous crisis in relations between Russia and Israel. It is possible and necessary to get out of this crisis. For years, we have led a balanced and responsible relationship with Russia. In the last few days, I have become worried that what we have built for years is crumbling right before our eyes over the last few weeks. This happens because of a combination of amateurism, irresponsibility and arrogance," warned Netanyahu.

He continued, "I have one request of Lapid and Gantz — stop blabbing. Your conduct endangers our national security. If the crisis is not stopped immediately, it may lead to serious damage to our security."

Lapid and Gantz were quick to respond. Lapid’s office attacked Netanyahu for refusing to attend security briefings with him, and claimed that this was why Netanyahu was not up to date with the latest developments on the Russia front. "The issue is being handled by the Israeli government. As [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's personal spokesman said today, there is no crisis between the countries. If Netanyahu had bothered to come to Prime Minister Lapid for a security policy update, Netanyahu would have learned the facts," said Lapid’s office.