‘This won’t be a leftist government,’ Bennett vows, calling on Netanyahu to ‘let Israel go.’
Arutz Sheva Staff , Jun 06 , 2021 8:23 PM | updated: 8:27 PM
Yamina chairman and prime minister-designate Naftali Bennett hit back at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday, after Netanyahu lambasted the incoming national unity government.
Speaking after the first joint meeting of the eight coalition leaders of the incoming government at a Tel Aviv hotel Sunday afternoon, Bennett held a press conference Sunday night declaring that the new government he is slated to head for the next two years will be to the Right of the current Netanyahu-led government.
Bennett called on Netanyahu to let Israel move forward after Netanyahu’s 12 continuous years in office.
The Yamina chairman also vowed that the new national unity government would not be a left-wing government, but would instead be “more right-wing than the present one”.
“I call on Mr. Netanyahu to relax, to release the country and to let it move forward. People have the right to vote for a government which is not let by you. And by the way, this government will be much more right-wing than the present one.”
Bennett went on to allay the fears of political opponents, calling the first change in government in over 12 years as a “normal event”.
“This isn’t a catastrophe, it isn’t a disaster. It is a change in government – a normal event and one which is expected in every democratic country. Israel is not a monarchy. No one has a monopoly on power.”
Turning to Netanyahu’s failed attempt to cobble together a ruling coalition earlier this year, Bennett said Netanyahu had lied when he denied trying to form a government with the support of the United Arab List (Ra’am) chief Mansour Abbas.
“Netanyahu claimed today that he never agreed to form a government which relies on Mansour Abbas. We all know he’s not telling the truth.”
“I was part of the negotiations for the formation of a government led by Netanyahu with the United Arab List, and I know exactly what Netanyahu promised [Abbas]. After all, our negotiations with the United Arab List were based on what the Likud had already promised to give, just that we were a little bit more conservative. This has been documented and I think it’ll be revealed, too.”
Yes, I see things are getting more unpleasant by the moment. And I understand his purpose in the speech. And I am not saying it was inappropriate, his people are being harassed by the public who they will soon represent, some of whom likely voted for them.
But his speech was unmoving to his non-supporters and moving to his supporters – such pep-rallies are useless at this point, there is no election at hand but rather a race for leadership – as such it will take a leader to win. Also his direct address to Bibi, I believe, played to rally those oppose to him around Bibi, not very helpful to his position, I think. So that is what I saw in the speech he gave.
But, he could have had a very strong response if he had approached this situation with a similarly unconventional approach as he did in forming a gov’t. My point, and it is a fair point, I believe, is that he could have made a gesture to those who oppose his arrangements with these non-state supporters – their concerns are reasonable and understandable even if creating security concerns for family members is not.
Yet, Bennett did not even address them til the very end of a very short 7-min speech. His requests, and those of Lapid’s, for calm and trust will not change anything because they are just words. But if he would trust the public rather than expecting the public to trust him, I believe he could move the dial of public fervor in a favorable direction for everyone. And he should ignore Bibi.
If Bennett succeeds his success must be his own as leader of the country, leading the public, but the whole public without concern or reference to his old leader. He should lead by addressing the public directly, not Bibi, and more directly, he should address that portion of the public who do not trust him – for it is only here that he will rally support to his unconventional gov’t – but he must speak to their concerns with facts and specifics not rhetoric.
And should he do this and do it with the confident bearing he is known for, and was quite absent yesterday, I believe, he could undermine the hostilities of these groups who are so upset by the potential consequence of him being something other than what he has been in recent years.
But he must release the facts of his arrangements, though he has no need to do so prior to the 24hr period – it could afford the nation he is soon to lead a great comfort of reassurance of him and his partners and it could create a very strong position for him and his gov’t. Should he have approached the speech with these motives at hand he would have rendered the protests and Bibi’s attacks as warrantless in the eyes of the public, unless the ten degrees to the right comment was just words. Sorry, if my comment below was not more clear of my meaning, it was a long day yesterday.
Speech by Bennett was appropriate for the situation in Israel, given the encouragement Bibi is giving his followers to harass Yamina MKs and their families and members of the Unity government.
Bibi is now a mass disappoint with his actions, lies and not letting go of the government.
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The people have seen Bennett rise and lead in difficult moments. His performance as Defense Minister was an exemplary role of his skills to lead the nation in good times and in more difficult events. He should reach back to those moments that the public looked to him for support and confidence and speak to the them, the public, for they are who he will lead.
It is with this fond recollection of him in such varied roles of the gov’t that lie at odds with the deep trepidation of his recent actions which has borne a sense of concern about his unique approach to governing. So his mention of the ten degrees to the Right would have been an auspicious moment for him to have exercised the reigns of control that he seems to have garnered. And, thus, reveal these untold secrets that Bibi has made much of and only Bennett can silence, and by so doing, pull the stinger from Bibi’s grasp.
Sunlight is a great tool, should he only use it. Also, a fair reckoning of the truth of such issues should not be evaded nor needlessly withheld to the last moment. He intends to lead the country. So he should lead the country and tell us how it is he intends to lead the country with his message of unity and gestures of substance that will be awarded to these players who hold the State with great scorn. He should reveal these things because hard truths and happy goals are how leadership is earned, though he has no need to do so at this point.
His desires to maintain confidence of such clandestine accords needlessly raises a great apprehension of the motivation for the hush about these matters, especially when such matters are of such magnitude as they were made with his varied allies such as they are. So I say with confidence this was a great moment from which Bennett could have lead the nation towards a sense of unity about his goals for the future. But a lack of confidence or something else foolishly delays his disclosure of these great matters, not just to the gov’t but to the people which is likely to magnify the disquiet about his secrecy. He should lead and allow the nation to follow, but who can follow a trusted leader who can not trust his flock with an intended secret path.
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Well this was not the uplifting speech that I had anticipated from Bennett. Where is the talk of unity and vision of the future. His speech was largely addressing a sense of disquiet that could not be parted from Bennett even as he moved his focus towards Bibi’s attempts to undermine his pursuits at governing.
Unfortunately, he allowed himself to be distracted by the public outcry following Bibi’s remarks. His statement of being ten degrees to the right of Bibi’s gov’t was an important message to convey. It was this that should have maintained his focus through the rest of his speech.
He could have used this moment to place clear guidelines as to the stated arrangements that he has agreed to with his many disparate members. It was a moment where he could have carried the nation behind him and set concerns at ease without the scorn for those who oppose what he has not disclosed.
But instead he announced his deep convictions for the Right as if this would be enough. It might be enough for many, but he should look to lead more than just his faithful followers. He failed to even address these non-followers til the final moments of his comments which was additionally unfortunate.
He claims he will be ten degrees to the right of Bibi, so a fair question arises as to why he hesitates to reveal these facts and vanquish some very concerning possible rumors. He called on Bibi to let the nation go, but his words should have been specifically to the public to whom he intends to lead.
This was when he should have stared into the cameras and led by exposing what promises and commitments he has arranged with his many allies. It would allow his leadership to expose Bibi’s empty platitudes, if empty they be. But beyond this quibbling among great men, Bennett needs to walk forward so his nation could follow. As he holds these mysteries hushed in only his own confidences, his nation will never share his wonder in it. He needs to ignore Bibi and speak to the people.
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