Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettHaim Zach/GPO

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s social media team on Sunday blocked bereaved father Herzl Hajaj on Twitter, before unblocking him hours later.

The Prime Minister’s Office said, "The block was done innocently and by mistake. As soon as it was noticed, the block was removed and an apology was sent to the Hajaj family."

Hajaj is the father of Lieutenant Shir Hajaj who was murdered in a ramming attack in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood in Jerusalem in 2017.

After he was blocked by Bennett, Hajaj tweeted, "I too was blocked by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the terrorist government, who knew how to ask us to support him during the election and is now unable to deal with my criticism of the formation of his government with Ra’am the terrorist supporters and can’t take the truth. Now he can continue to embrace [Mansour] Abbas, the supporter of the terrorists, quietly and without criticism, without us reminding him of the truth."

Yael Shevach, the widow of Raziel Shevach who was killed in a terrorist attack near their home in Havat Gilad, shared Hajaj’s words and wrote, "Blocking a bereaved family. You can’t stoop any lower than that, Naftali Bennett. I would fire some media consultants for that." MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism) sarcastically said in response, "No doubt, the man has some class. "

MK Bezalel Smotrich blocked Bennett on Twitter in protest of the blocking of the Hajaj and wrote, "Bennett blocks criticism of bereaved parents. That is my response. You’re invited to join."

MK Smotrich's initiative was joined by other MKs who blocked the Prime Minister, including Yoav Kisch (Likud), Amichai Chikli (Yamina), Kathrin Shitrit, Uriel Busso (Shas), Galit Distel Atbaryan (Likud) and more.

The block was eventually lifted and the Prime Minister's social media team apologized to Herzl Hajaj.