Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday accused the government of spreading a treason-from-within conspiracy theory, telling an international counter-terrorism conference at Reichman University that the theory itself constitutes the real betrayal. "The treason-from-within theory that the government is spreading, that is the treason from within," he said.
Lapid argued that Israel's enemies sought to sow fear and suspicion among the country's citizens, and that spreading claims of collaboration between security officials and Hamas serves their aims. "This theory - it's Sinwar's great dream. It's what Nasrallah wanted, it's what Khamenei wanted," he said.
He went on to name Tally Gotliv and Channel 14, "the poison machine," and "the nightly tweets from the office" as those who, in his words, have brought back to life the legacy of the leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. He added: "According to a poll that was conducted, four out of ten Israelis believe that IDF and Shin Bet commanders collaborated with Hamas."
"There is no greater betrayal from within than spreading the lie about betrayal from within," Lapid said. According to him, "Whoever knowingly and deliberately promotes this abominable lie is an accomplice of the enemy."
Lapid also addressed the situation in Gaza, saying that Hamas has not been defeated on the battlefield but has also not won, and that armed fighters remain in the Strip. He argued that Israel is stronger than Hamas, but added that victory over terror is not measured only by tunnels destroyed and terrorists eliminated. In his remarks, he presented the fight against the spread of treason theories as part of the struggle for Israel's resilience.
