Israel’s Lapid accuses Prime Minister’s office of ‘orchestrating’ mutiny video

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Sunday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office of orchestrating the video of a reservist soldier threatening mutiny.

“Throughout the history of nations, there have been instances where the opposition advocated for chaos. However, for the first time, the government itself deliberately incited chaos,” Lapid said in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

He said the video was shared by Netanyahu’s son and Yinon Magal, a journalist close to the prime minister.

“(The sharing) shows that this is the position of the Prime Minister's office,” Lapid argued. “The Israeli prime minister helps spread messages against the defense minister and army chief of staff during war and calls for rebellion and chaos."

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported early Sunday that the soldier who appeared in the mutiny video had been arrested for questioning.

In the video, the soldier threatened a widespread mutiny if Defense Minister Yoav Gallant decided to bring the Palestinian Authority into Gaza or withdraw from the enclave.

Lapid said Netanyahu and his entourage “are solely focused on political survival and sowing chaos in Israel."

Netanyahu and Gallant have been at odds over the post-war governance in Gaza, with the defense minister opposing any Israeli military or civil rule of the Palestinian enclave.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Around 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 80,600 others injured since October following an attack by Hamas.

Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than a million displaced Palestinians had sought refuge.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi