JERUSALEM — Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid said Monday that the emerging deal between the United States and Iran fails to achieve any of Israel's goals for the war, calling the agreement disturbing and harmful to multiple parties in the region.
Lapid, who leads the centrist Yesh Atid party and serves as head of the opposition, spoke to reporters in Jerusalem and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to secure better terms during negotiations. "The deal is bad for Israel, bad for the region, bad for the citizens of Iran," Lapid said.
The comments come amid reports that the proposed agreement would see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz. In return, the United States would end its blockade of Iranian ports and lift sanctions, with further talks on Iran's nuclear program scheduled over a 60-day period.
Israel and the U.S. launched the war on Feb. 28, vowing to destroy Iran's ballistic missile program, end its support for proxy militant groups and prevent Tehran from pursuing a nuclear bomb. Both Netanyahu and President Donald Trump had also expressed hopes that the conflict would create conditions for toppling Iran's government.
Lapid expressed gratitude to Trump for joining Israel in the military campaign but faulted Netanyahu for allowing Washington to negotiate with minimal coordination. "The Israeli government is at an all-time low in its ability to influence decisions in Washington," he said, referencing Trump's recent remark that "Netanyahu will do whatever I want him to do."
An official familiar with Netanyahu's conversations with Trump, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the prime minister has repeatedly stressed that Israel maintains "freedom of action" against threats. Lapid countered that "Israel is a sovereign state, we are not a vassal state and we are not a protectorate."
Lapid briefly served as prime minister in 2022 under a rotation agreement with Naftali Bennett. Their coalition ended 12 years of Netanyahu's rule at the time. The two leaders have since merged their parties into a single faction headed by Bennett, aiming to unseat Netanyahu in elections scheduled by the end of October.
Lapid has held the opposition leader position since Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022. Their alliance seeks to unite a fragmented opposition largely defined by shared opposition to Netanyahu.
On the Palestinian issue, Lapid, one of the few Israeli politicians still supporting the idea of Palestinian independence, said a two-state solution would not appear on the next government's agenda. "There will be no two-state solution in the coming years, because Israelis now understand this will become just another failing terrorist state on our borders," he said, citing the Palestinian Authority's limited ability to prevent attacks following the trauma of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and subsequent wars.
Lapid added that he would oppose unilateral steps making a future Palestinian state impossible and said he received assurances from Bennett, a former West Bank settlement leader, that Israel will not pursue annexation of occupied territory.
He also ruled out cooperation with Arab parties to build a coalition against Netanyahu. Opinion polls suggest Bennett and Lapid may need support from some Arab lawmakers to form a majority, as they did in their previous government that included Mansour Abbas in 2021.
Lapid described that earlier cooperation as "the right government for the moment" but said conditions have changed after nearly three years of wars, and he and Bennett will not include Abbas' party in any new coalition.
Key details of the Iran deal remain unclear, particularly whether it will address Iran's missile program or its support for regional militant groups. Officials said further negotiations on those points could occur during the 60-day period.