Lapid Cancels Speech, Chides Hecklers

Foreign Minister-designate Yair Lapid, the architect of the incoming government, canceled his scheduled speech at the Knesset on Sunday ahead of the confidence vote and swearing-in, in the face of incessant heckling from Likud and chareidi MKs.

But before giving up the podium, he managed to invoke his mother in a swipe at his antagonists:

“I’m skipping the speech I planned to deliver today because I’m here to say one thing – to ask for forgiveness from my mother. My mother is 86 years old and we don’t ask her to come to Yerushalayim lightly. But we did it because I assumed that you would be able to get over yourselves and behave with statesmanship at this moment, and she would see a smooth transition of government,” he told the unruly plenum.

“I wanted her to be proud of the democratic process in Israel. Instead she, along with every citizen of Israel, is ashamed of you and remembers clearly why it’s time to replace you. Thank you.”