Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said he does not boycott National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir or Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, according to leaked recordings released Thursday, fueling new speculation about his potential alliances ahead of Israel’s next elections.

In the recordings, first reported by The Jerusalem Post, Bennett is heard speaking at a conference in Efrat on Wednesday, saying he does not support boycotting the two right-wing leaders despite personal reservations.

“I don’t boycott him, but he is simply a very, very, very unserious person,” Bennett said of Ben-Gvir. Speaking about Smotrich, he added, “Today, he is very combative, but he knows how to work. So, I don’t boycott him. In the end, I look at the results.”

Bennett’s office confirmed that the recordings were leaked.

The remarks have renewed debate over whether Bennett could form a coalition with far-right parties after elections expected no later than October. Bennett said in the recordings that he has maintained ties with the Religious Zionist Party in hopes of breaking political boycotts after the vote.

“There is a boycott today,” he said. “So this boycott needs to be broken.”

Bennett also reflected on his 2021–2022 tenure as prime minister, when he led a diverse coalition that included the Arab Ra’am Party. He said he had invited Smotrich to join his government at the time.

“If Smotrich had come, there would have been no need to rely on an Arab party,” Bennett said. “But he preferred that I rely on an Arab party … rather than come and be part of the solution.”

Bennett’s comments come as opposition leaders seek to define clear red lines ahead of the election, particularly regarding cooperation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Opposition figures, including former prime minister Yair Lapid, moved quickly to push back against any perceived flexibility.

“Only a large and strong Yesh Atid will prevent a government with Ben-Gvir and the haredim,” Lapid wrote on social media.

Avigdor Liberman, leader of Yisrael Beytenu, said it was “forbidden” to join Netanyahu “under any conditions,” while tagging Bennett and other opposition figures.

Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot said that officials who held office during the October 7 Hamas attack were unfit for leadership, calling instead for a “Zionist, statesmanlike government.”

Benny Gantz of Blue and White and Yair Golan of The Democrats also criticized any potential cooperation with Netanyahu or his allies, emphasizing the need for political renewal and institutional reform.

Bennett became prime minister in June 2021 in a rotation government with Lapid, leading Israel’s first coalition that included an Arab party. His tenure ended amid internal divisions and political deadlock.

More recently, Bennett has called for a change in leadership following the October 7 massacre, signaling he would not join a government led by Netanyahu.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)