Naftali Bennett has been waging a battle in recent days to win over secular voters for his “Bennett 2026” party after beginning to slip in the polls.
Last week, he added the founder of an anti-Chareidi organization to his party list, a figure at the forefront of the battle against the Olam HaTorah.
However, Bennett’s statements in an interview on Monday morning with Army Radio went far beyond the anti-Chareidi agenda, aiming at the heart of the most basic Jewish values and religious status quo. Bennett, who formerly headed the religious Yamina and Bayit Yehudi parties, made shocking public statements in support of public Chillul Shabbos and non-halachic marriage.
“Public transportation should be allowed on Shabbos in every city that wants it,” he said.
He also expressed his support for civil marriage in Israel for “anyone who wants”—a public statement of support for intermarriage and gay marriage.
At the same time, Bennett claimed that he is still right-wing and compared the elections in Israel to the elections in Hungary: “We must learn from the Hungarian model of a right-wing but also state-oriented public,” he said. “We must stand behind right-wing positions, and thus we can replace the government.”
The Shas party responded sharply: “Anyone willing to sell the state’s Jewish identity—the holy Shabbos and marriage k’das Moshe and Yisrael—for political gain—will one day also sell Eretz Yisrael and Yehudah and Shomron.”
UTJ chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf said, “I would not be impressed by Bennett’s promises of civil marriage and Chillul Shabbos. He also promised not to sit with Mansour Abbas and signed a paper on a live broadcast that he would not allow Lapid to become prime minister. Even those on the left understand that he is trying to deceive people and steal votes.”
Democrats chairman Yair Golan rushed to praise Bennett’s statements, saying, “Bennett, welcome. Civil marriage in a liberal democratic country is a must. This is our Judaism, and we will demand it in the next government.”
“You’ve come a long way from the Bayit Yehudi until now. It’s nice to see that even in politics there are pleasant surprises and that even on the right they understand that only a strong liberal Israel will prevail.”
Golan expressed his hopes that Bennett will become a full-fledged liberal and also abandon his support for Yehuda and Shomron.
“I hope Bennett’s journey will continue one more step towards the necessary understanding that even political moves— parting with annexation fantasies— and courageous decisions are the right and only way to real security,” Golan wrote.
Golan did not explain why he still believes—after Israel was “rewarded” for giving up Gaza with the October 7 massacre— that giving up the fight for Yehudah and Shomron would lead to “real security.”
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
And he presents himself as religious….
Such an עז פנים as well as such an עזות מצח is an immediate candidate for יורד לגיהינום not just for 12 months but for all eternity.
Not only is he an affront to the Chareidim, but even an affront to the modern religious & שומרי יום-העצמאות
💯 inverse of both the venerated מנחם Begin זצקללה”ה & of Moreinu Horav Meir Kahana זצקללה”ה הי”ד who both were so proud of their Judiasm & did everything to uphold & observe הלכה כדת וכדין
He’d sell his own mother for a few votes too. He’d never sell his wife because, like Chirlane deBlasio McCray, she stole/embezzled many millions of Shekel to engratiate her life and refurbish her house on taxpayer funds.
Shalev was born in the US and speaks English.
An extended interview with him, in English, can be found by Googling
Equal Duty – “I Represent the Ones Still in Gaza” With Yonatan Shalev.
Having this person join him seems in line with Bennet’s already stated positions regarding making haredi service a major part of his platform, a position shared by many Dati Leumi Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim.
Of course, Likud would oppose someone who will take votes away from them.
I mean what can be expected his mother isn’t Jewish he’s starting just to act like what he is
why would YWN choose to show a picture of Naftali Bennet without a visible kippah? He was the first and only Israeli PM to wear tefillin daily.
A goy wearing tefillin doesn’t impress us and a wife that doesn’t keep nidda. Stop falling for his crap
Bennett was always a sheigetz.
Yaapchik- right you are!!
Clearly Bennett has been inspired by the Supreme Court convening on the Holy Schabbos about a mass protest, to run on a platform of legalized violation of the 4th of the 10 commandments.
Meanwhile the members of my Shul have asked me:- Who is a more vile traitor to we authentic Jews:- Gali baharav-miara or Naftali Bennett? What should I respond to my congregants [other than both being no good]?
It’s a tough call but normally we say the wolf who tries to act like a sheep is more dangerous than the wolf. Although now he’s just openly becoming another wolf
rebEmess sic! et all:
Perhaps you are not aware that Bennet’s mother is from an Orthodox family that goes back many generations and Bennet was successful in his libel suit against the Rabbi who started this rumor.
Nice work posting this slander, only a few days after having heard parshas metzora.
You do realize there’s no restriction against speaking against a Jew that openly calls for the desecration of Shabbos and the starvation of Yeshiva Boys and our holiest rabbis? Or perhaps you don’t know because you’re an ignorant fool shlomo? Get a clue open a book