Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri sharply criticized former prime minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday night after Bennett arrived in Bnei Brak to condemn the recent assault on female soldiers in the city.
In a statement, Deri called on the police commissioner to issue an immediate restraining order preventing Bennett from entering the city. He accused Bennett of incitement, saying the former prime minister came to Bnei Brak to inflame tensions and exploit a sensitive incident for political gain. “This agitator arrived solely to stir unrest and collect votes," Deri said, adding that Bennett was “the last person who should be present at such a scene."
Bennett visited the city and posted a video from the scene, in which he placed responsibility for the incident on the government. He said that a violent mob had chased, humiliated, and attempted to lynch female soldiers in the heart of Israel, arguing that such events reflected a broader failure to enforce the law. “This did not happen out of nowhere," Bennett said, linking the violence to what he described as growing tolerance for draft evasion.
He further accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the haredi parties of ignoring calls opposing military service and turning a blind eye to violence against Haredi soldiers who enlist. Bennett said those responsible for the attack should be jailed swiftly and stressed that, under his leadership, there would be no tolerance for anarchy or violence. “Everyone will serve, everyone will enlist, and everyone will obey the law," he said, adding that this was the only way to maintain unity in the State of Israel.