Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is caught between far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich and ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) parties, and that Netanyahu has completely lost the ability to govern the country.
“Elchi” reports that in an exclusive interview with American host and blogger Mario Nawfal, Bennett assessed Israel’s domestic politics and the ongoing conflicts on the Gaza and Lebanon borders.
Emphasizing that Netanyahu has lost control over his own government, Bennett said, “Bibi (Netanyahu) can no longer manage his own cabinet. Ben-Gvir pulls him in one direction, Smotrich in another, and the ultra-Orthodox parties are moving in a completely different direction. Since Netanyahu needs all these figures to stay in power, he cannot find the strength to say ‘no’ to any of them.”
Claiming that the current government has become a hostage to radical elements, Bennett stated, “In my own government, there would be no ‘fools’ like Ben-Gvir and Smotrich making such absurd statements. I wouldn’t even have let Ben-Gvir into the cabinet. If someone in my government had come out and made such absurd statements, I would have immediately told them to know their place. But Netanyahu can no longer do that because his existence depends on them.”
“Israel is responsible for the image crisis”
Bennett also touched upon the decline of Israel’s international reputation and its diplomatic isolation, admitting that the responsibility for this situation lies not with biased media or foreign propaganda, but directly in the government’s own policies.
Bennett openly admitted that the reactions in the world stem from Israel’s own mistakes, and that the country’s biggest problem is no longer just enemies outside its borders, but the current governance approach that has become a hostage to domestic extremists. Bennett stated that he remains opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state, maintains his views on the destruction of HAMAS and the disarmament of Hezbollah, and still considers Iran the greatest strategic threat, while arguing that the current military strategy is harming the country.
Expressing his distrust of long-term wars, Bennett noted:
“This large-scale war being waged in Gaza, Lebanon, and along the Iranian axis that drags on forever is contrary to Israel’s military doctrine. If you are forced to go to war, you do it quickly and intensively, you win, you stabilize the region, and you move on. But when you drag out a war for such a long time, you both exhaust our economy and deplete our reserve soldiers. Israel needs a wise government that can get rid of coalition ministers who break every diplomatic tie with rhetoric of annexation and permanent conflict, can restore relations with regional countries like Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and knows how to end these endless wars.”
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