Former PM Bennett criticizes Netanyahu’s leadership but doesn’t rule out coalition for sake of unity

In an interview for the German newspaper Bild on Tuesday, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated that he would not rule out forming a coalition with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The most important thing for Israel right now is to unite the people,” Bennett said, with a “broad unity government, left and right, religious and secular, with a focus on rebuilding Israel.”

He emphasized in the interview that he has not yet made an official announcement about returning to politics. However, a source close to him said the decision had already been made.

Bennett has exceeded Netanyahu in electoral polls, both in the number of seats and with regard to his fitness to serve as prime minister, despite resigning from politics in 2022.

Bennett criticized Netanyahu’s leadership in the war, saying that “Israel’s strategy should have been to use more force to shorten the campaign in Gaza,” which has lasted for almost a year.

“Win the war seriously, or make a deal and fight another day,” Bennett said. “The war of attrition is exactly what Iran wants. Iran wants to slowly drain Israel of its energy and resources, but Israel should not play by their script,” he added.

Bennett also criticized Netanyahu’s intention to replace Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with Knesset Member Gideon Sa’ar, saying: “The Israeli public does not feel that this is the case, and I would hope that Israel’s leaders remember why they are there: to defend Israel, not to pursue personal interests.”

According to a Channel 12 survey published on Friday, 40% of respondents said they believe Bennett is more fit to lead the country, while 29% chose Netanyahu. An additional 25% said neither of them were suited, and 6% said they weren’t sure.

In comparison, 31% of people said they believed Netanyahu was more suited than opposition leader Yair Lapid and 29% chose Lapid. Thirty-four percent of people said that neither of the two was the right choice.

In a head-to-head comparison with National Unity party chair Benny Gantz, only 28% of respondents said they preferred Gantz over Netanyahu, while 34% believed Netanyahu was more suited to serve as prime minister. An additional 31% stated that neither was suited to lead.

Over the last few months, Bennett has been in the process of forming a new political party, according to Channel 12. Organizers have contacted his old voter base to inquire about support and recruit activists willing to volunteer to establish the party’s current base.

Some activists who campaigned for Bennett in the past have already started again by text, according to the report.

A Bennett-led party would be among the largest in the Knesset – even with Likud, with both parties holding 20 seats.

With Bennett’s return, National Unity would have 13 seats, and Lapid’s Yesh Atid would win 11, but without Bennett, National Unity is expected to win 21 seats while Lapid’s party would increase to 15.

According to the poll, if elections were held today with the inclusion of Bennett, the governing coalition parties would have 46 seats. Without Bennett, the parties would have 49 seats.

The parties that formed the government previously led by Bennett and Lapid would win 69 seats, with a party led by Bennett and 66 without.

On Tuesday afternoon, Bennett took to 𝕏 to deny claims that he would consider joining a coalition with Netanyahu. He wrote, "Completely fake," alongside a screenshot of a Walla News headline suggesting he hadn't ruled out the possibility of partnering with Netanyahu.

While there are no elections scheduled to take place in Israel for another two years, anti-government protests continue to draw thousands of people demanding a hostage release deal and early elections.