Former prime minister Naftali Bennett says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to “eliminate me,” after former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen claimed in a radio interview the premier asked him to remove Bennett from cabinet during his time running the security service.
According to Cohen, Netanyahu cited Bennett’s apparent removal from his officer’s position in the military as cause to disqualify him from the cabinet — a request the then-Shin Bet chief said he refused.
In the comments cited by Hebrew media, Bennett denies that he was removed from his officer’s position.
“In 2014, as a member of the cabinet, I demanded that Netanyahu act offensively against Hamas in Gaza. Yoram Cohen revealed today Netanyahu’s lies and his paranoia about me,” Bennett is quoted as saying.
“I wanted to eliminate Hamas, Netanyahu wanted to eliminate me,” he adds.
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, April 7, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
