Yair Lapid

In Statement A (April 2025), Lapid argues that Netanyahu's move to fire the Shin Bet chief is a distraction from the Qatar Gate affair, implying the Shin Bet chief's independence is being undermined by Netanyahu. In Statement B (December 2025), Lapid calls on the Shin Bet chief (David Zini, presumably the replacement) to order an immediate investigation into Qatar Gate — essentially demanding the same institution whose leadership he defended in Statement A now act against Netanyahu's people. The framing reverses: in A, the Shin Bet chief's firing is portrayed as Netanyahu silencing oversight; in B, Lapid tests the new chief's independence by demanding he use that same oversight power against Netanyahu. While these are not strictly incompatible positions, they reflect a tension in how Lapid frames the Shin Bet's role — in A as a victim of Netanyahu's interference, in B as an instrument Lapid expects to wield against Netanyahu on his terms.