Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his family are orchestrating a campaign against Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett, Kan reported Monday morning.
The move is the latest effort by Netanyahu to weaken the Yamina party and Bennett in particular, with the aim of removing the former Defense Minister as a potential rival for the premiership and to reduce Yamina’s influence in a new government.
As part of the campaign against Yamina, Netanyahu and his immediate family have pressed Likud MKs and ministers to come out with public criticisms of Bennett and his party.
Yesterday, speaking at the Besheva Jerusalem Conference, Netanyahu directly attacked Bennett, saying: “Bennett says that he wants to be Prime Minister. How? Only with a power-sharing deal with Lapid.”
“They’ll squabble, but Lapid will be stronger and will run the government. Voting for the Likud ensures a nationalist government, and we’re close to securing such a government. Lapid is praying that you vote for Bennett. Yamina is Lapid’s ‘New Hope’,” Netanyahu continued, alluding to Gideon Sa’ar’s ‘New Hope’ party.