Benjamin Netanyahu and Matan Kahana
Benjamin Netanyahu and Matan KahanaOlivier Fitoussi, Yossi Zeliger/Flash90

Minister of Religious Services Matan Kahana (Yamina) on Monday evening responded to opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed that the police and the IDF had opposed the lifting of the closure imposed on Palestinian Authority-assigned areas of Judea and Samaria during Rosh Hashanah.

"Netanyahu is once again gloating while Israeli citizens are injured. Although he knows that the security forces, including the commissioner himself, recommended that the closure be lifted, he is shamelessly lying in order to cut a cynical political coupon. It would be better if the champion in releasing terrorists would repair the damage he caused," Kahana said.

Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu attacked the Bennett government following the stabbing attack at the Central Bus Station in ​​Jerusalem.

"Two days ago, contrary to the position of the police, Bennett lifted the closure on Judea and Samaria. We saw the unfortunate result today in a terrorist attack at the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem," said the Likud chairman.

"This failed government must stop being preoccupied with its political survival and start working for your health and safety, for you citizens of Israel," the former Prime Minister added.

Netanyahu criticized the government which is dependent on the votes of the Ra’am party, saying, “This government has done things that even governments led by The Alignment (an alliance between the left-wing Labor and Mapam parties -ed.) did not do, no one has put into the coalition an Islamic party that is striving against the very foundations of the state's existence.”

"They are constantly saying I gave money to the Arab public, and of course I did - they are Israeli citizens and I take care of them but I did not put them in the coalition and I did not give them the leadership of a committee, and I did not give them a veto power on the budget and 53 billion shekels at the expense of our soldiers," Netanyahu said.