In an interview with N12, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of nearly destroying the country after Bennett left it in excellent condition. Bennett committed to doing everything to replace the current government, including serving as a junior minister.
In an interview with N12 broadcast Saturday evening, August 22, at 21:44 Jerusalem, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of nearly bringing Israel to destruction and vowed to do everything to replace the current government, including serving as a junior minister if necessary. Bennett claimed he had left the country in excellent condition when he left office and that Netanyahu's leadership had squandered that.
The remarks are the latest in a series of strongly worded interviews Bennett has given over the past two months. As The Zioneer reported at the time, on June 14 Bennett told The Times of Israel that "another four years with this government, we won't have a society." Two days later, on June 16, he told 103FM that he would "be a wheel" for Zionism to replace the "very bad government." On June 19, he made his case for the premiership in a separate Times of Israel interview. By late June and July, Bennett had unveiled an education overhaul plan, presented a January 2022 Iran regime-change document accusing Netanyahu of shelving it, and argued that Israel could topple the Iranian regime but had missed a window of opportunity. The latest N12 interview sharpens the accusation to "bringing Israel to ruin" and explicitly emphasizes his willingness to take any role, including junior minister.
As The Zioneer has reported, Bennett's campaign to present himself as an alternative to the current leadership extends beyond rhetoric. He has proposed policy plans on education, Iran, and security. On June 23, a proposal for Palestinian autonomy in Judea and Samaria that Bennett floated in an interview with Kan 11 drew sharp condemnation from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who warned it would create a "terror state" in the heart of the country.
It remains unclear whether Bennett's intensified rhetoric translates into political momentum. No immediate response from Prime Minister Netanyahu or his coalition to this specific interview has been reported.
2 developments
- DevelopingBennett: Government incapable of advancing Israel — vows election victory
- StrongBennett: 'Netanyahu tenure began with civil war, continued with Oct. 7, ends with failure against Iran'
- StrongBennett: Netanyahu allows uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia, Israel 'has become a pariah'
- DevelopingBennett makes his case for premiership in Times of Israel interview
Source and signal
- Open-source intake