In comments made to the press on Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett referred to a video made by opposition leader Netanyahu in which he mocked the reliability of the antigen test for coronavirus.
"Nothing that Netanyahu does can surprise me at this point," Bennett said. "I saw a video of Netanyahu eroding public confidence in the antigen test. It is not just an irresponsible act but an anti-patriotic one. Netanyahu's behavior is irresponsible and unpatriotic," Bennett repeated, despite the fact that the antigen test has indeed been shown to be unreliable in close to a majority of cases.
Bennett then attacked the opposition, saying: "I call on all the propagators of chaos and hysteria to cease. It is true that children will have to enter quarantine and the situation is not easy. But we are managing this crisis responsibly. Something on this scale happens once in a generation, but we are coping," he insisted.
Responding to Bennett's criticism leveled at their party's head, the Likud party issued a statement in defense of former premier Benjamin Netanyahu:
"Naftali has lost control over the coronavirus epidemic; he has abandoned Israeli citizens to their fate and sent them off to buy home virus tests and pay for them out of their own pockets - when the labs have already established that the results of home tests are unreliable.
"By contrast, we ensured a first, second, and third vaccine dose for all Israeli citizens and provided accurate free PCR testing for whoever needed it, without anyone having to stand in line for long hours.
"We also provided compensation for stricken business owners, making sure that no one was forced into bankruptcy. Naftali, you've failed: Now, go home."