Bennett Sounds Alarm Ahead of Elections: “We’re at an Existential Moment”

By Staff, Agencies

Former "Israeli" Prime Minister Naftali Bennett criticized Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war on Iran and broader domestic policies, arguing that the current entity's approach had weakened "Israel’s" strategic position, economy, and international standing.

In an interview with The Times of "Israel" [ToI], Bennett criticized Netanyahu's overall approach toward Iran and its regional allies, as the US moves toward a framework agreement with Tehran aimed at ending the war.

Turning to military doctrine, Bennett said he would pursue the "Octopus Doctrine" if elected later this year, describing the approach as a long-term strategy designed to weaken the government in Tehran while "preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons".

On the cost of prolonged conflict, Bennett argued that extended wars have imposed heavy burdens on “Israeli” society, saying, “It’s never been ‘Israel’s’ doctrine to have an ongoing war, which exhausts ‘Israeli’ society, exhausts the reservists, exhausts the economy, and dramatically hurts our international standing.”

Expanding his criticism, Bennet said Netanyahu has lost the ability to effectively govern and address multiple challenges facing the occupation entity.

Four and a half months before what he called a pivotal election, Bennett said “Israel” had failed on securing military victories, crime, the economy, ultra-Orthodox integration, and improving "Israel’s" global standing.

Framing the political moment, he stressed that the alliance he leads with former Prime Minister Yair Lapid comes ahead of an “existential moment.”

Warning of consequences, Bennett said, “Another four years with this government, we won’t have an economy, we won’t have a society,” arguing that unresolved disputes over the ultra-Orthodox community would deepen social and economic strain.

Sharpening his critique, he added that “Israel” “simply can’t do it anymore,” saying it could not win wars, deal with crime, bring down prices, or integrate the ultra-Orthodox into “Israeli” society.

In parallel, a new alliance between Bennett’s movement and Yesh Atid has named Bennett its prime ministerial candidate, though a new "'Israel' Hayom" poll showed Gadi Eisenkot’s party leading with 20 seats, ahead of the bloc’s 19.

Politically repositioning himself, Bennett emphasized civic governance over religious identity, criticized Netanyahu’s reliance on far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, and praised Trump-era policies including US recognition of al-Quds as "Israel’s" capital, the embassy move, recognition of "Israel’s" annexation of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the claiming of IRG commander Qassem Soleimani, and the war on Iran.

He also sharply criticized the occupation entity’s handling of ultra-Orthodox draft exemptions, calling long-standing policies toward the Haredi community “slow-motion national suicide.”

He further argued against funding schools that avoid core subjects and condemned efforts to enshrine Torah study as a national priority, saying it would divert billions to those who “refuse to serve or work” and “use the Torah as a tool for money.”

Addressing security governance, Bennett also discussed settler violence in the occupied West Bank, claiming most settlers are law-abiding and have faced “years of attacks,” while still condemning violence against Palestinians and soldiers.

He said law enforcement should be applied uniformly across all areas under "Israel" control and pledged to restore “law and order.”