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Israel’s Lapid fighting to leverage Netanyahu’s coronavirus failure

Yesh Atid leader and opposition chair Yair Lapid fails to leverage his energy and gain momentum, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is highly criticized over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - MAY 25: Yair Lapid, Blue and White party member speaks at a protest against Netanyahu's 'Immunity Law'  on May 25, 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu attempt to push for laws that will give him immunity from criminal prosecution as part of the coalition agreements for the next goverment.  (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

When the Blue and White party had a noisy breakup last March, it looked like the party’s No. 2 candidate — Yair Lapid — finally had his chance to offer an alternative to Benjamin Netanyahu in the prime minister’s office. Six months later, Lapid might have missed his chance.

The third election round in a row on March 2 did not produce a clear winner. Lapid led the party’s aggressive line against joining a Netanyahu government. But the coronavirus pandemic reshuffled the deck. Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz decided that it was in the country’s best interests for him to join an emergency government headed by Netanyahu. Lapid refused to join and the party split, after almost replacing Netanyahu in power. With the collapse of Blue and White, hundreds of thousands of Israelis saw their hopes for a different future dashed.

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