‘Historic political disaster’: Netanyahu faces backlash after Trump announces Iran ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting criticism at home after a two-week ceasefire in the Iran conflict was announced by US President Donald Trump, sparking a sharp political row within Israel. The opposition leader, Yair Lapid, led the criticism, accusing Netanyahu of presiding over what he described as an unprecedented political failure. In a post on X, Lapid said, “There has never been such a political disaster in all our history,” and claimed that Israel had been excluded from crucial decision-making.

“Israel wasn’t even at the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security,” Lapid wrote, questioning the government’s role in shaping the ceasefire terms. He acknowledged the performance of Israel’s military and public, stating that the armed forces had fulfilled all assigned tasks and citizens had demonstrated resilience. However, he accused Netanyahu of failing both diplomatically and strategically, adding that none of the prime minister’s stated objectives had been achieved.

“The military carried out everything that was asked of it, the public demonstrated amazing resilience, but Netanyahu failed politically, failed strategically, and didn’t meet a single one of the goals that he himself set,” Lapid said. He added that the damage caused by what he described as “arrogance, negligence and a lack of strategic planning” would take years to repair.

The criticism came hours after Washington announced a two-week pause in strikes against Iran, a move aimed at easing tensions and creating space for negotiations. Israeli officials said they supported the United States initiative, but with conditions.

According to the prime minister’s office, Israel backed the ceasefire on the understanding that Iran would immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt attacks against the United States, Israel and other countries in the region. The government also clarified that the ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon.

Israel reiterated its support for US-led efforts to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile or what it described as a “terror” threat to the United States, Israel and its regional allies. It added that Washington had assured Israel of its continued commitment to shared strategic goals in upcoming negotiations.