Bennett, anti-Netanyahu MKs heckle premier over Qatar ties, October 7 inquiry as he addresses new Knesset

By Ariela Karmel

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Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

B’Yachad chairman Naftali Bennett and other opposition lawmakers repeatedly interrupt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his address to the newly sworn-in Knesset, demanding answers over his aides’ suspected ties to Qatar and his refusal to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.

As Netanyahu accuses the Arab parties of seeking Israel’s destruction, Bennett interrupts him, shouting: “What about investigating the events of October 7? What about your Qatari advisers? Why don’t you declare Qatar an enemy state?”

Likud faction chairman Ofir Katz fires back at Bennett: “Investigate it together with your Tibi and Abbas,” referring to Joint List lawmaker Ahmad Tibi and Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas.

Meanwhile, Democrats chairman Yair Golan and members of his party walk out of the plenum in protest, while Democrats MK Gilad Kariv shouts: “How much money did you receive from Qatar?”

“Ever since the balcony in Zion Square, you haven’t stopped inciting,” Kariv yells, referring to an October 1995 rally in which Netanyahu supporters chanted “Death to Rabin,” a month before his assassination by a Jewish extremist.

The outbursts come as Netanyahu, who lost his parliamentary majority in last month’s elections, uses his speech to renew his calls for a national unity government while continuing his campaign to delegitimize the Arab parties and portray them as supporters of terrorism, seeking to undermine the ability of Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot and his allies to form a government with their support.

Netanyahu’s bloc holds just 53 seats, compared to the 67 held by parties opposed to him, including Ra’am and the Joint List.

Netanyahu pursued a policy for years of facilitating the transfer of Qatari funds into Hamas-ruled Gaza, while several of his closest advisers are being investigated for alleged payments to promote Doha’s interests while working for the prime minister.

His longtime adviser Jonatan Urich recently admitted during police questioning that he received hundreds of thousands of shekels for work connected to Qatar that continued after the October 7 attack and that he remains employed by the prime minister.

Netanyahu has also refused calls to establish a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding October 7 and has never accepted direct responsibility for the attack.