Opposition Leader Yair Lapid unleashed a sharp attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of turning permanent conflict into official state policy. Lapid charged that Hamas, Qatar, and Iran had long sought to trap Israel in an endless cycle of war, and argued that the current government has effectively embraced that outcome rather than resisting it. Speaking out against what he described as a troubling new direction, Lapid said the government has taken living by the sword and formally built it into Israel's governing work plan. The remarks land amid renewed scrutiny of Netanyahu's vision for Israel's future, following his earlier comments framing the country as a self-reliant Super Sparta.

Lapid contrasted that framing sharply with the country's past ambitions, pointing to the lost promise of prosperity and innovation once symbolized by Israel's reputation as a Startup Nation. Instead of building toward economic growth and global integration, Lapid argued, the Prime Minister is now openly declaring that Israel will be defined by Super Sparta, a society with no normal life, only continuous war. The comments reflect deepening political division in Israel over the direction of national strategy, as critics warn that embracing permanent conflict could come at a steep cost to the country's economy, international standing, and quality of life. Netanyahu's office has not issued an immediate response to Lapid's remarks.