Lapid and Eisenkot Slam Netanyahu's New Security Doctrine Ahead of Elections
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and MK Gadi Eisenkot sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new security doctrine, dismissing it as superficial and a political maneuver.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and former IDF Chief of Staff MK Gadi Eisenkot launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's newly published national security doctrine, released just nine days ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections. Both leaders dismissed the document as superficial, void of substantive strategy, and aimed at deflecting responsibility for past failures.
Lapid slammed the document as "a superficial, bizarre text that looks like it was written by a free chatbot," arguing that two pages of empty slogans cannot constitute a serious security concept. He criticized the glaring gap between Netanyahu's stated principles and his government's actual policies across defense, intelligence, foreign relations, and national cohesion.
Eisenkot similarly condemned the document, focusing on its timing and the government's military record. He stated that Netanyahu failed to achieve any of the four war goals set after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks, despite the immense sacrifices of the Israeli public and the achievements of the security forces on the ground.
Critique of Military and Intelligence Failures
Lapid questioned how Netanyahu's professed commitment to maintaining military superiority aligns with policies that encourage the mass exemption of ultra-Orthodox youth from military service at a cost of tens of billions of shekels, thereby eroding the reserves system and the people's army model.
He also pointed to the cancellation of the strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States, mounting diplomatic friction, and the failure to establish a state commission of inquiry into the intelligence and political failures leading up to October 7.
Eisenkot detailed the specific failures regarding the four declared war objectives: dismantling Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad governance and military capabilities; deterring Hezbollah and preventing northern escalation; maintaining stability in Judea and Samaria; and preserving internal national resilience.
Alternative Strategy and the "Servicemen Revolution"
In place of Netanyahu's platform, Lapid outlined an alternative security blueprint. This approach focuses on halting the policy of containment, ending financial transfers to Gaza, expanding operations against remaining terrorist infrastructure, and countering Iran.
Lapid further proposed the "servicemen revolution," advocating for the conscription of 20,000 ultra-Orthodox youths within two years. According to his estimates, this policy would save the economy roughly 30 billion shekels annually, allowing the state to fund critical defense enhancements without imposing heavier tax burdens on working citizens.
Eisenkot concluded by pledging that the incoming government would draft and formalize a comprehensive national security strategy within 150 days of taking office, operating under structured legislative frameworks to restore professional leadership and public trust.
