From the Liveblog of
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Bennett warns officials they will pay for bending rules under political pressure
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela 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.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett warns public servants against breaking or bending laws due to political pressure, saying they will face consequences when the current government is removed from power.
In a Facebook post addressing public servants, judges, police officers and election officials, Bennett says that he is “aware of the massive pressure being placed on you.”
“Do not agree to break the law or bend the rules because of political pressure,” he warns. “You will not forgive yourselves for straying from the law; you bear responsibility for your actions. There is a tomorrow. Do not be afraid. Soon the current government will be replaced.”
Bennett, who is planning a political comeback, pledges a return to “professional governance, renewal, and growth.”
He further vows to uproot what he calls “harmful norms” — such as “enemy agents operating from the Prime Minister’s Office” and ministers taking bribes — pointedly referencing the Qatargate scandal and the ongoing police investigation into Social Equality Minister May Golan.
In the post, Bennett discounts the possibility that elections scheduled for next fall could be postponed, as some have alleged the current government could try to do by citing fighting in Gaza as justification.
While currently not serving in the Knesset, the former prime minister has launched a new faction, Bennett 2026, which has quickly risen to the top of opinion polls, often finishing alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud.
The Times of Israel Community.