Israel’s opposition leader called the right-wing minister’s remarks “inexcusable” after mocking the strike

Israel’s opposition leader called the right-wing minister’s remarks “inexcusable” after mocking the strike

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has criticized right-wing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for an “unforgivable tweet” that has been interpreted as mocking a military strike in Iran.

Ben Gvir published a one-word post on X, consisting only of a slang word meaning “lame” or “weak,” just hours after explosions were heard in Iran on Friday.

Israel has launched a military strike against Iran, a US official told CNN. Israel has not commented and Iran has not identified the cause of the attack.

The two politicians did not explicitly say that their comments referred to an attack on Iran.

Ben Gvir previously said Israel should “go crazy” in its response to last weekend’s Iranian drone and missile attacks on Israel.

Former prime minister Lapid said that Ben Gvir had “succeeded in mocking and shaming Israel from Tehran to Washington.”

“Never before has a minister in the security cabinet done so much damage to the country’s security, image and international status,” he added.
Ben Gvir’s fellow right-wing minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday said that Israel’s response to Iran’s attacks should cause “disproportionate casualties” and “shake Tehran” to deter Iran from future attacks.

The finance minister said Israel “should shake up Tehran, so everyone there will realize that they shouldn’t mess with us.”

“This is a language spoken in the Middle East,” he added.