Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday afternoon reversed his stance and announced that he would not include National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir in any government he is chosen to form.
Bennett sharply criticized Ben-Gvir, saying, "I want to be clear: Itamar Ben-Gvir has no place in my government. Not because of 'boycott rhetoric,' but because he is a failed minister who acts with bullying and racism against the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state."
At a conference in Efrat earlier this week, Bennett urged the formation of a national unity government should be formed after the upcoming elections, based on the unity government model created in 1984, which rotated between Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres.
In recordings released on the Kipa website, Bennett can heard clarifying to the audience that he is not boycotting Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir and Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich.'.
Regarding the Ben Gvir, he said: "I'm not boycotting him, but he's simply a terribly, terribly unserious person. I know it’s not talked about, but clownish behavior is not a substitute for seriousness."
About Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Bennett said, "Smotrich today is very combative, but he knows how to work. One of the reasons I’m involved with Religious Zionism is so that there will be enormous pressure on them after the elections to end the boycott against us. What happened? Why can’t you sit with us? There is a boycott today."