Bennett dismisses ‘completely fake’ reports he’s willing join Netanyahu government
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett dismisses reports that he could be willing to sit in a coalition with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Completely fake,” Bennett writes on X, with a screenshot of a headline saying he is not ruling out joining Netanyahu.
His denial comes amid widespread speculation that Netanyahu is planning to ink a deal to replace Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with Gideon Sa’ar, the chairman of the opposition New Hope party.
The reports dismissed by Bennett came after he gave an interview to the German newspaper Bild, in which he said he would cut short his break from politics due to the dire situation Israel finds itself in.
“There are only two things that are important to me: my family and my country,” Bennett told Bild. “And if I have to sweep the floor, then I’ll sweep the floor. If I have to be a soldier, I’ll be a soldier. I’ll take any position where I can make a difference.”
Bennett said if he returned to power he would focus on uniting the people of Israel.
“The most important thing for Israel right now is to unite the people,” Bennett told Bild. This could only be achieved with a “broad unity government, left and right, religious and secular, with a focus on rebuilding Israel.”
In the interview, Bennett was critical of Israel’s conduct of the war and said current leaders are putting personal interests first.
“When a nation is at war, it expects all decisions to be made professionally,” Bennett said. “The Israeli public does not feel that this is the case, and I would hope that Israel’s leaders remember why they are there: to defend Israel, not to pursue personal interests.”