Former Finance Minister Yair Lapid made highly critical remarks about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu on Saturday, saying that the prime minister was to blame for the country's economic woes, while admitting he would be glad to get another shot at the Finance Minister position.

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Speaking at a cultural event in Ness Ziona, the Yesh Atid leader said: "Netanyahu and his men decided that they are only interested in their personal gains and not what's good for the citizens of Israel. This group destroyed Israel's economy and then looked for someone whom they could hold responsible."

"I went to elections under the banner of taking responsibility, which is why I took the finance portfolio," Lapid explained.

Lapid at cultural event. 'Netanyahu only interested in personal gain' (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

"We lost a year rehabilitating Israel's economy, and after that we presented plans that aimed to help the middle class and the weakest populations – and they destroyed that as well," Lapid added

At the event, Lapid was asked if he would like to serve as finance minister again, to which he answered: "Yes, absolutely. That is where you can change the country."

Lapid further said that Netanyahu's cowardice had led him to call new elections. "He was afraid of passing both the most social budget that ever existed in years and the housing plans that we submitted…these two programs have now become our central plans, which will be implemented following the elections. Everything is already prepared."

Lapid also congratulated the union between Labor party leader Yitzchak Herzog and Hatnua Chairwoman Tzipi Livni, saying that it "created order in the political system".

He also explained why he didn't join Livni himself: "Tzipi and I talked. Livni decided to join the leftist bloc. That's her right and of course it's not a bad thing, but a good thing. We need people who care in politics."

A new Channel 2 poll that aired on Friday showed that though Lapid's Yesh Atid entered the previous government as lions, it exits it like a wounded lamb, dropping from their current 19 Knesset seats down to 8.

They are tied at 8 Knesset seats with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party – a drop from 13 for the secular rightwing party – and with the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism also taking 8.