Israel's Former PM Bennett: Netanyahu 'Must Go'
Bennett criticizes Netanyahu's long rule and handling of Gaza war.
JERUSALEM - Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must leave office, his predecessor Naftali Bennett has told a televised interview.
Refusing to say whether he intends to challenge the country’s longest-serving leader in an election, Bennett stated that Netanyahu “has been in power for 20 years...
that’s too much, it's not healthy.”
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 that aired on Saturday, former prime minister Bennett said Netanyahu “bears...
heavy responsibility for the divisions in Israeli society,” referring to growing rifts within Israel under Netanyahu.
With a strong support base but also staunch opponents who have demanded his departure, including over his handling of the Gaza war since October 2023, Netanyahu is still seen as the leading figure of the country's political landscape.
Netanyahu “must go,” said the former prime minister, a right-wing leader who in 2021 joined forces with Netanyahu critics to form a coalition that ousted him from the premiership after 12 consecutive years at the helm.
Bennett himself led the fragile coalition government along with current opposition chief Yair Lapid but it collapsed after about a year and snap elections were held.
Netanyahu then assumed the premiership again, this time with backing from far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties.
Bennett, who has taken time off from politics, has been rumored to be planning a comeback, with public opinion polls suggesting he may have enough support to oust Netanyahu once again.
However, no vote is currently planned before late 2026, although early elections are common in Israel.
In his Saturday interview, Bennett claimed credit for laying the groundwork for Israel's bombardment campaign earlier this month against Iranian nuclear and military sites.
He stated that the decision to launch attacks against the Islamic republic ‚was very good” and ‚needed,” adding that the offshore military operation would not have been possible without his government’s work.
In Gaza, where Israel has waged war since Hamas's October 2023 attack, Bennett said the Israeli military has displayed “exceptional” performance but criticized the political management of the country as a “catastrophe, a disaster.” He further criticized Netanyahu's government for its “inability to decide” and called for an immediate “omprehensive” agreement that would see all remaining hostages freed from Gaza.
Bennett suggested that eliminating Hamas should be left to a future Israeli government while evading questions about his potential candidacy.
Refusing to say whether he intends to challenge the country’s longest-serving leader in an election, Bennett stated that Netanyahu “has been in power for 20 years...
that’s too much, it's not healthy.”
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 that aired on Saturday, former prime minister Bennett said Netanyahu “bears...
heavy responsibility for the divisions in Israeli society,” referring to growing rifts within Israel under Netanyahu.
With a strong support base but also staunch opponents who have demanded his departure, including over his handling of the Gaza war since October 2023, Netanyahu is still seen as the leading figure of the country's political landscape.
Netanyahu “must go,” said the former prime minister, a right-wing leader who in 2021 joined forces with Netanyahu critics to form a coalition that ousted him from the premiership after 12 consecutive years at the helm.
Bennett himself led the fragile coalition government along with current opposition chief Yair Lapid but it collapsed after about a year and snap elections were held.
Netanyahu then assumed the premiership again, this time with backing from far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties.
Bennett, who has taken time off from politics, has been rumored to be planning a comeback, with public opinion polls suggesting he may have enough support to oust Netanyahu once again.
However, no vote is currently planned before late 2026, although early elections are common in Israel.
In his Saturday interview, Bennett claimed credit for laying the groundwork for Israel's bombardment campaign earlier this month against Iranian nuclear and military sites.
He stated that the decision to launch attacks against the Islamic republic ‚was very good” and ‚needed,” adding that the offshore military operation would not have been possible without his government’s work.
In Gaza, where Israel has waged war since Hamas's October 2023 attack, Bennett said the Israeli military has displayed “exceptional” performance but criticized the political management of the country as a “catastrophe, a disaster.” He further criticized Netanyahu's government for its “inability to decide” and called for an immediate “omprehensive” agreement that would see all remaining hostages freed from Gaza.
Bennett suggested that eliminating Hamas should be left to a future Israeli government while evading questions about his potential candidacy.
