Former Prime Minister and 'Together' party leader Naftali Bennett said Saturday evening that the Lebanon agreement will be judged not by grand speeches but by whether Kiryat Shmona is rebuilt before Hezbollah recovers, and whether mothers in Metula, Kiryat Shmona, and Shlomi can raise their children without fear of the group's resurgence.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (Together) issued a pointed critique of the government's emerging security deal with Lebanon on Saturday evening, shifting the test from diplomatic praise to tangible security outcomes for northern border communities.
Bennett's statement, posted to social media, said the agreement's true measure would be whether Kiryat Shmona is rebuilt before Hezbollah regains strength, and whether mothers in Metula, Kiryat Shmona, and Shlomi can raise their children without fear of the group's resurgence. The remark follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's earlier Saturday statement framing the deal as a 'defeat for Iran,' with the IDF set to remain in southern Lebanon until the Hezbollah threat is removed (as The Zioneer reported at 21:34).
Bennett, a frequent critic of Netanyahu's handling of the Lebanon front, has previously accused the prime minister and Defense Minister Israel Katz of lying about IDF freedom of action in southern Lebanon (The Zioneer, June 23). His latest intervention reframes the debate from the deal's diplomatic optics to its practical impact on residents who were displaced or remain under threat.
- DevelopingBennett at JPPI: 'You can defeat the enemy, the next government will restore security'
- DevelopingHezbollah fury at framework deal: 'Netanyahu negotiated with himself — the field will speak'
- DevelopingBennett: Netanyahu incapable of deciding on Gaza, Lebanon, Iran fronts
- DevelopingBennett says Syrian soldiers contacting him, claiming hands tied on Hezbollah
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