The Likud party issued a strongly worded condemnation of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's speech at the United Nations General Assembly Monday,
"Netanyahu's speeches at the UN made waves all over the world and brought Israel's interests to the forefront of the world stage. In contrast, Bennett gave an empty speech in front of an empty hall and wasted empty words instead of taking advantage of an important international stage," the statement read.
"Bennett talks about the need for unity and internal Israeli brotherhood, but he is pitting citizens against each other. In general, since when has an Israeli prime minister raised internal political issues to the top of the agenda on an international stage?" the Likud wondered.
Members of the Opposition also criticized the speech.
Religious Zionism party chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich wrote on Twitter: "To all who are rightly puzzled, Bennett's speech is not intended for the UN. Nor is it intended for Israeli ears. It is meant to help Bennett in the psychological process he is devoting himself to, developing a deep self-identification with his conversion in forming this government and turning against everything he believed in until yesterday."
MK Michal Woldiger of the Religious Zionism party also wrote on Twitter: "Great speech, but still. We defeated the coronavirus? His method, the prime minister's, works? Over a thousand people have died from the coronavirus during his term. Patients here in the corona wards and hospitals are collapsing. There's no policy, no decisions, no method."
Bennett received support from Coalition chairperson MK Idit Silman (Yamina), who wrote on Twitter: "'A little light repels a lot of the darkness.' Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, we are all behind you."