Yair Lapid on Monday, 29 Shevat was interviewed by Channel 2 correspondent Amit Segal as Lapid attended the Jerusalem Conference.

Lapid began by commenting on how he has moved closer to the religious and chareidi communities on the one hand and to the right-wing on the other. “What a surprise, what I did in recent months. I came from the national camp. My father was appointed by Begin. I am in a comfortable place, both politically and my Jewishness” he commented.

Regarding the “brotherly pact” he had with Naftali Bennett in the previous Knesset, Lapid explained “It failed but I do not want to give up on the pact with the people seated here. I imagine I am to blame at least as much as the other side. The pact between the centrist Zionists and the dati leumi camp must continue”.

He explains however the fault really rests with the religious Zionists for they pushed an initiative to give financial preference to their sector at the expense of others. “What is more important, a Yitzhar Bypass Road of funding for the elderly? Isn’t this one of the goals of the dati leumi?”

Segal did not let his remarks pass, questioning if there is money between Tapuach and Yitzhar. Lapid said there is, as preference has been given to the settlements and the religious sector. He questioned rhetorically if one is required to first determine if this funding is at the expense of the Israeli tzibur. “There is no competition as to which tzibur is most loyal to the State of Israel today. Not only the religious are loyal, but there is another group of loyalists. There is no place to argue here. There is however a problem the moment one sector feels its needs supersede the others and then believe one may pass on the left or right towards meeting this goal. There must be compromise” he concluded.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)