Opposition leader Yair Lapid issued a sharp rebuke on Britain's decision to impose sanctions on Israel, calling it "a serious mistake" driven by domestic political considerations rather than principle.
"The British government's decision to impose boycotts and sanctions on Israel is fundamentally flawed and dangerous policy, implemented at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons", Lapid said in a statement.
He warned that the move would "strengthen extremist voices in Israel just before the Knesset elections" and serve as "a shot of encouragement to Hamas and terrorist organizations".
Lapid characterized the British action as cynically motivated by internal politics, suggesting that "a cynical attack on Israel is being used to appease disappointed voters" within Britain.
In a departure from his typical approach, Lapid made no mention of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the current Israeli government in his statement. Political observers noted the omission as surprising, given that opposition leaders typically use such international incidents to criticize the prime minister's policies as having led to diplomatic deterioration.
