Lapid attacks Netanyahu after security briefing on threats

Opposition leader Yair Lapid met Tuesday night with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a security briefing, following Netanyahu's unusual warning that Israel's enemies may attempt to attack the country in the period before the elections.

The meeting took place at Lapid's request. He approached the Prime Minister's Office after Netanyahu's remarks and asked to understand the threat assessment and the preparations ahead of the elections.

The meeting came against the backdrop of Netanyahu's earlier statement that "there are signs that ahead of the elections our enemies will try to attack us." However, security officials said that as of now there is no concrete intelligence information about a specific attack and there has been no change in the situation assessment.

Lapid: "No reason to send the public into panic"

At the conclusion of the meeting, Lapid made clear he would not reveal the content of the security briefing he received, but attacked the manner in which Netanyahu presented the threat to the public.

"Security threats are something that must be dealt with professionally and responsibly," Lapid wrote. "Israel's security and IDF bases are not props for election videos. Updates on threats should come from professional sources, from the IDF, from the Shin Bet, not from the Twitter account of a politician who is in an election campaign."

Lapid added that "before October 7th Netanyahu didn't relate to any warning, 28 days before the elections suddenly he's busy with fearmongering." According to him, without revealing the information presented to him, "the IDF, Shin Bet and police are prepared for the elections and there is no reason to send the public into panic."

The opposition leader also connected the issue to the dispute surrounding chareidi enlistment and claimed that if Netanyahu is concerned about the security situation, he should act to draft "the 15,000 chareidim missing from the IDF."

In addition, Lapid demanded to convene a four-way meeting with his participation, Netanyahu, Shin Bet chief David Zini and chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Solberg, with the aim of coordinating preparations ahead of election day.

Likud: "A statement that is entirely a political attack"

Likud responded shortly afterward and focused specifically on the speed with which Lapid published his statement.

"Lapid left the meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu at 11:39 PM. At 11:41 PM, only two minutes later, at record speed, he published an extensive statement that is entirely a political attack on the Prime Minister," the party said.

Likud added with a jab: "Either he writes at the speed of light or the statement was prepared in advance regardless of the briefing that was presented to him. So much for the midnight Lapid."