Netanyahu, Stop Attacking: You Need a Strong Bennett

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s aggressive attacks on Jewish Home (Habayit Hayehudi) and rising star Naftali Bennett are uncouth, and smack of gross politics. The  Likud, which has a portrait of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the founding father of the Revisionist Zionist movement, on display at their conferences, are abandoning Jabotinsky’s ideology when they attack Naftali Bennett.

Bennett’s party has stood up clearly opposing further territorial compromise, against the creation of a Palestinian state, for the strengthening of the
The start-up entrepreneur showed his capitalist stripes while strengthening ties with China as a Minister during the most recent government.
state and education system, and the start-up entrepreneur showed his capitalist stripes while strengthening ties with China as a Minister during the most recent government.

While political expediency is about votes, it is wrong to attack Bennett. Take Netanyahu’s January campaign video which depicted Bennett as a child playing with tanks and the Prime Minister as a kindergarten teacher attempting to keep order.  It was insulting – and there was no reason to include Bennett.  Yet, with class, Bennett retorted to the ads,  "At least this child won't let missiles fly over Ben-Gurion Airport."

Further, Bennett noted, "In general, one should not fire inside the tank – not because it's not possible, but simply because by doing so, we are rewarding Tzipi Livni and Buji. I will continue to focus on convincing the Israeli public to support us and the national camp, and will make efforts not to hurt anyone inside the national camp." 

Naftali Bennett is right.

On Thursday, Netanyahu called on voters to vote Likud instead of Bennett, saying "Bayit Yehudi will be a partner in our government, but if it loses some mandates it won't change a thing. If Likud loses some mandates, (the task of) formulating the government might be given to the left wing."  Bennett’s reply noted that Bibi sought to exclude Bennett’s party – and noted that “only a large Bayit Yehudi will prevent another government with the left wing.”

Last election, Benjamin Netanyahu similarly tweeted against Bennett – and Bennett’s reply was similarly honorable.  He said then, “I did a lot of thought over the weekend, and by the way, it was Shabbat so I didn’t know Netanyahu and the Likud had opened the gates of hell on me over Shabbat.”

Attacking a national religious Jew who loves Eretz Israel is not the way of Ze’ev Jabotinsky.   Bennett has said he is not yet ready for national office – yet, the fact that his party is a threat to the Likud is not a reason for him to be attacked.   It is a moral and political mistake - voters know that a more-right wing party would strengthen a Likud-led government.