Naftali Bennett
@naftalibennett · Israeli opposition & former officials
Naftali Bennett is a former Prime Minister who leads the joint "Together" slate with Yesh Atid heading into the October 2026 election.
At Blich High School, I taught those wavering over Ben Gvir the difference between TikTok and facts>>
Translated from HebrewYankel claims that the Haredim will burn the country if we stop paying the draft dodgers. This is what I answered him
Translated from HebrewHundreds of the town's students in Zichron Yaakov chose Yonatan Shalev and the B'Yachad party this morning as the largest party in the election poll. The message is clear, the young people are with us! Together we will fix Israel
Translated from HebrewThe 7.10 massacre could have been prevented. How did Netanyahu do nothing?>>
Translated from HebrewIsrael does not need flashy politicians and celebrities right now. Israel needs doers. * A flashy politician knows how to pose for a photo at a gas station and say how expensive things are here. A doer knows exactly what needs to be done to bring your prices down. A flashy politician is good on television programs. A doer is good at work plans. A flashy politician shows up every day at launch events, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and the bar mitzvahs of central committee members. A doer arrives at the office in the morning and gets his hands dirty in the mud of Israeli bureaucracy to improve your lives. A flashy politician builds connections in politics, then looks after his own interests in the private sector after retiring. A doer has already succeeded in the private sector and enters politics to use his skills for the benefit of the country's citizens. A flashy politician reads every tweet on Twitter. A doer reads every clause in the bill. A flashy politician is measured by ratings. A doer is measured by results. That is why you hear much more about the flashy politician in the media. But that is not what Israel needs now. Israel is not being governed, and it needs the best and most effective managers, men and women who know how to fix things, and quickly. This was our criterion for putting together our list over the past two years. No celebrities, no flashy politicians - doers, men and women. Soon there will be a highway of action here that this country has never seen in its life. Together we will fix it
Translated from HebrewThe report published this morning that Netanyahu was warned ten days before the October 7 massacre about Sinwar's intentions is true. Netanyahu bears personal and direct responsibility for the failure that led to the deaths of thousands of Israelis on his watch. His ignoring the warnings is criminal negligence, and that is why he is doing everything to prevent the establishment of a state commission of inquiry that would expose the truth. What did he not do in response? He did not go down to the field, did not warn the heads of the security establishment, did not prepare Israel for the attack, and did not convene the cabinet. What did he do in those days? He propped up Hamas in order to stop the demonstrations that could have taken place along the fence, transferred more money to buy a little quiet, promised more workers as a result of Hamas threats, and as usual, dismissed all the warnings from the heads of the security establishment. Netanyahu was so captive to his own conception that even clear warnings from regional leaders could not move him from his seat. What was in his mind in those days was the continuation of the fragmentation of Israeli society, the continuation of the policy of containment and buying temporary quiet through submission to terrorism. We could have saved the lives of the residents of the Gaza border area, the lives of our children who were slaughtered at the Nova party, and the lives of our heroic soldiers. Netanyahu cannot continue to serve in his position for another minute, and he certainly is not capable of fixing things. If we do not replace this government, we will never know the truth, which will be revealed only by a state commission of inquiry, because they are preventing its establishment out of fear that the terrible truth will be exposed. In 50 days all this will change. There will be a government here that unites the people, there will be a government here that goes down to the field and is not captive to a terrible conception. Together we will fix this too.
Translated from HebrewA man of the north through and through, Nisan Zaavi
Translated from HebrewThe team that is going to save the country - not with superpowers, but with work plans and execution capabilities. Together we will fix it
Translated from HebrewOur team of doers. Together we will fix Israel.
Translated from HebrewAmit Segal and others are asking a legitimate question about Yonatan Shalo’s age. I will answer: First, Yonatan Shalo is not 21 (on election day he will be 24), and despite his young age he has already managed to establish the largest organization of young people serving in Israel, and together with his colleagues to block the evasion law in the Knesset. Second, one of the current government’s biggest problems is that they do not count the young people serving in Israel. Combat soldiers and reservists do not interest them in the slightest. They simply do not care that these young people who are trying to build their lives cannot, because every few months they are called up for 80 days of reserve duty. It is unbearable. Especially when there are 100,000 young, healthy Haredim of draft age. If they drafted only 15% of them, the whole problem would be solved. That is what the election is about. That is what happens when there is a cabinet with Deri and Smotrich, the architects of evasion, and Ben Gvir, who has not done a single day of service in the IDF. Yonatan will serve as a voice for this special generation, and he will not let up until there is change. Third, most of the great movements in history were driven by young people. The leaders of the Second Aliyah were in their early twenties when they came to the Land and made the wilderness bloom. Yonatan Shalo is indeed a sergeant first class in the Maglan unit. Although he is not an officer, he commanded a series of operations in Lebanon and Gaza in recent years while risking his life. A few months ago he was nearly killed in Lebanon. Yonatan grew up on the legacy of his grandfather, an Israeli hero, Lieutenant Colonel Shaul Shalo, of blessed memory, who was a tank battalion commander and fell in a heroic battle in the Yom Kippur War. I am proud of him and of the excellent team of female CEOs, fighters, and doers in general whom we are bringing. Together we will fix Israel!
Translated from HebrewI've been in politics for 15 years, and I can tell you with certainty: this is the most talented, effective, and dedicated list to run for the Knesset in the last generation. I'm very excited to share Israel's team for renewal with you. Look at them one by one, look at their résumés, and you'll see the men and women best suited to fix our beloved country now. The best female directors-general in Israel. People who rose through the ranks, with results and proven track records. Senior women managers from the business sector, together with new and young forces (yes, Yonatan, I called you young...) fighters, heroes of October 7 who saved the country once, and are now coming together with us to save it again. With them we'll recruit Haredim, reduce crime, restore security to Israel's streets, lower the cost of living, build excellent public transportation, rehabilitate the ruined education system, and raise Israel's standing in the world. And I'll let you in on something: along the way, we were offered all kinds of "stars," big, dazzling names. But we understood from the very first moment: Israel is not being managed, and to return to managing Israel, we don't need stars; we need the best and most experienced men and women of management and action in the country. This is our team. Soon things here will be good. With God's help, together we will fix it.
Translated from HebrewI want to say something to you this evening about Yair Lapid. Yair is a friend, brave, a man with a heart, a fighter, a great Zionist, and a man of dignity. In these last dark years he never stopped fighting. He did not give in to self-pity; he built and held together a magnificent team of parliamentarians who fought in the Knesset as no other faction did. Despite their numerical disadvantage, they managed to prevent more disasters that the October 7 government tried to advance. He managed the very difficult process of a generational transition with sensitivity and wisdom, as only he knows how. The noble retirement announcements, which have no equal in Israeli politics, are the greatest testimony to the spirit of the team he built. His people who have finished, as well as those who continue with us, are an enormous asset to the people of Israel. Yair’s views and mine are not identical, and that is a good thing. I greatly admire this man, and this evening especially I am proud to call him a friend.
Translated from HebrewThis time I dedicate the Erev Shabbat post to the Israeli hero Lt. Col. Roy Levy, may his memory be a blessing, commander of the Multidimensional Unit. Roy was a fighter with every fiber of his being. He was wounded in Operation Cast Lead and returned to fight. He was critically wounded in Operation Protective Edge, fought for his life, rehabilitated for two years, and insisted on returning to command combat units. And on October 7, when the state collapsed, Roy did not stay behind. He went out at the head of his soldiers toward the fire, into the inferno at Kibbutz Re’im. He fought, commanded, and during the battle saved dozens of the kibbutz’s residents. Even when he was wounded in battle (for the third time in his life!), he continued to fight bravely. Until a bullet pierced his heart, and he fell in battle at age 44, leaving behind his wife Yael, his five children, and the many subordinates he influenced over the years. At Roy’s funeral, his daughters Tzuria, Zohar, and Abigail eulogized him: “You were supposed to see us get married and accompany us beneath the wedding canopies. You always said: ‘I am willing to die only in war.’ You were a hero to us; we will continue to live by your values.” ** Roy was buried near the grave of Lt. Col. Yehonatan Steinberg, commander of the Nahal Brigade, who also fell at the head of his soldiers in the heroic battles in the Gaza border communities on that terrible day. Fortunate is the nation whose commanders are such men. We will do everything to make amends and be worthy of everyone we lost. Shabbat shalom, my brothers and sisters
Translated from HebrewAt the parliament in the Krayot, they asked me about “the millions for the villa in Ra’anana”
Translated from HebrewWhile Netanyahu is spreading blood libels about IDF commanders, Deri is harming IDF soldiers. Aryeh Deri cannot sit in another government in Israel. The IDF is crying out for soldiers, and Deri is lying and making up excuses. This will not happen with us. He will not sit in the cabinet or make decisions about our sons who are fighting beyond enemy lines. Whoever does not take part in defending the country will not decide its security matters. The next government will be a Zionist government established on the basis of an alliance of those who serve. This is the only way we will be able to enlist everyone. Together we will fix it.
Translated from HebrewAt Eilat’s parliament, we shifted into high gear>>
Translated from HebrewOn the morning of 7/10, Yair Golan got into his car with a weapon and drove into the inferno; he risked his life in order to save lives. Other good people from across the country did the same, and saved the State of Israel from a disaster ten times greater. The people of Israel owe all these heroes a debt of gratitude for generations. Netanyahu, his wife and those around him are spreading a sick, false and dangerous conspiracy against the commanders of the IDF and Shin Bet and against Yair Golan. The truth is simpler: For many years Netanyahu fed the Hamas monster with billions of dollars and tolerated the rockets, balloons and terrorism in order to buy quiet. Again and again he surrendered to Hamas's threats and collapsed Israel's deterrence. The height of this was his disgraceful capitulation to Hamas's threats on Jerusalem Day in 2021, and the cancellation of the Flag March. Minutes after his surrender, Hamas began firing rockets at Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Sinwar resolved in his heart to launch the Al-Aqsa Flood. The monster grew to enormous dimensions and attacked us on the morning of 7/10. Netanyahu failed because of the conception that Hamas is an asset and Qatar is a partner. Netanyahu's attempt to rewrite history will not succeed. The state commission of inquiry that we will establish will investigate everything and expose the truth. Netanyahu bears direct responsibility for 13 years of building the terrorist monsters Hamas and Hezbollah and for the massacre of 7/10.
Translated from HebrewChildren of Israel, parents of Israel, a new school year begins this morning. I too am sending two children to school this morning, and there is a great deal of excitement in our home as well. I want to tell you something personal. In fourth grade, I returned to Israel after several years in the United States, with poor Hebrew. School did not go particularly well for me. I received grades of «sufficient», «low good» and «almost good». Then, one day, a drama teacher said «well done» about something I had done. Just two words, but they gave me confidence that also radiated into other areas. Since then I have known that sometimes all a child needs is one adult who believes in them and will not give up on them. That is also the great mission of our education system: not to give up on any child. We must not decide in advance what a child's future will be based on the town where they were born, the sector to which they belong or the school they attend. As education minister, I inherited ten years of decline in mathematics and science, especially in the periphery. I was told that excellence could not be brought to the periphery. Within four years, we doubled the number of students eligible for five-unit mathematics, including in the periphery. Just as we did then with five-unit mathematics, so will we do throughout the education system. In the next government, as an immediate and urgent step, we will declare a national emergency in the education system and recruit thousands of new teachers into the system. We will not accept a situation in which Israel is short of more than 30,000 teachers. But we will not settle for firefighting. We will rebuild the education system so that it sees every single child. We will transfer resources and managerial authority from the Education Ministry and the bureaucracy to principals, teachers and students. We will revolutionize public education and establish a shared Israeli foundation of mathematics, English and Zionism for all the children of Israel. Alongside an excellent education system, children need one other basic thing: peace and stability. In recent years, our children have gone through wars, sirens and school years interrupted again and again. Some of this upheaval was forced upon us by our enemies. When an enemy attacks us, we need to fight it and win. But not all the chaos was fate. Some of it was also the result of a lack of planning and failed management. We discovered how much strength there is in Israeli families. But the resilience of citizens cannot substitute for a functioning state. In the next government, we will restore management and professionalism to the education system. I do not promise that there will be no more challenges. I do commit that when there is a crisis, there will be a state to manage it. We will not leave you to deal with it alone. Our children deserve normal years. Years in which they can be free to develop curiosity, take risks and dream. Students of Israel, I love you and believe in you. May you all have a good, safe and stable school year. Together we will repair education, and together we will repair Israel. It will be good here. With great love, Naftali Bennett
Translated from HebrewThe people of Israel lost today one of the greatest female scientists it has known, Prof. Ada Yonath, recipient of the Israel Prize in Chemistry. A pioneering woman who brought Israel to the forefront of world science. The best way to remember Ada Yonath, of blessed memory, is not only to look back, but to look forward. Invest in education, encourage curiosity and ambition. Give our girls and boys the tools and support to dream big and fulfill themselves in every field. May her memory be a blessing.
Translated from HebrewI will never forget that night two years ago when we heard the unimaginable news about Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino, may their memories be a blessing. We all believed their ending would be different. For months, we got to know them, waited for them, and prayed for them. We formed a bond with them and their heroic families as though they were part of our own family. An entire country saw this disaster approaching and felt a terrible helplessness. Later, we also learned about their bravery. We heard about Carmel, who taught yoga; Ori, who helped Hersh with his injury; and Hersh, who encouraged others in captivity. We saw them light Hanukkah candles together, joke around, and embrace. Even in the depths of hell, they looked after one another and loved one another. Six spiritual heroes, brutally murdered by the basest enemy of all. We cannot bring them back. But we can and must be worthy of them. We will remember them, learn from them, and build here a better country, more worthy of their sacrifice. The State of Israel was established so that Jews would never again be helpless before those who want to murder us. In that basic mission, the state failed on that day. We will do everything so that this never happens again. We will do everything to add light where they tried to extinguish it. Together, we will make things right.
Translated from HebrewOn my way to Eilat, I met a father of three who is doing his eighth reserve-duty stint in the middle of the summer vacation. We must reduce the burden on them. Hang in there, dear Matan; reinforcements are on the way.
Translated from HebrewTomorrow, as we all get excited on the first day of first grade for our children, one out of every three Israeli children will enter a Haredi institution where they are not taught mathematics, English, or basic life skills. And more than that—what they are taught there is that Zionism is a bad thing, that going out to earn a living is for second-class people, and that it is better to die than serve in the IDF. Therefore, anyone who talks about enlistment must first talk about education. Because if we do not uproot “We will die and not enlist” at age 6, we will not be able to enlist at age 18. In the next government there will be a simple rule: if it is not Zionist, it will not be at my expense. An institution that does not teach the core curriculum, an institution that educates against the state and against the IDF, will not receive a single shekel from the state. To save the Zionist state, we will dismantle the Haredi state. This is the most important step to ensure the state's existence, because if we raise a new generation here that does not take part in the Israeli story, in security, and in work, we simply will not be able to ensure the future of the Jewish people in its homeland. Everyone talks about enlistment, but they do not know how to make it happen. We have a practical plan. We know exactly what needs to be done, and exactly how to do it. * I want to emphasize: I love our Haredi brothers. Anyone here who had been born and educated for 18 years against the State of Israel, against work, and against service in the army would believe that. This is not the fault of the Haredi public. It is the fault of the Haredi activists, and above all the fault of the politicians who allow the activists to imprison them. We will dismantle the system the activists created and, in its place, build a real alternative: excellent state Haredi education. One that preserves the Haredi way of life, teaches Torah as well as the core curriculum and Zionism. Anyone who thinks this is a new invention—I suggest they read the Bible again. Abraham went out to fight, Joshua was a warrior, Deborah and Barak fought, King David was a warrior, and the Hasmoneans fought for Jewish independence. The heroes of Judaism did not ask others to defend them. And Maimonides, who was a physician, strongly warned against a life in which a person studies Torah and makes a living from charity. Our message to our Haredi brothers is simple: We are not against you. We want you with us. In the army, in the economy, in high-tech, in medicine, in academia, and in building the future of the State of Israel. * Friends, what was will not be. There will be no more autonomous states within the State of Israel. There will be Haredim and secular Jews, religious and traditional Jews here—living together and defending our shared home together. There will be one people here with one education system and one army. Together we will repair Israel.
Translated from Hebrew“Forget it, we know you won’t really be able to enlist all the Haredim. It’s just populism.” This is a claim I hear from you a lot in parliament and out in the field. So let me explain: I agree that we will not succeed in enlisting all the Haredim immediately, or even most of them. But, from the very first moment we will apply the principle: whoever does not enlist gets not a shekel from the state. Whoever does not work gets not a shekel from the state. Not a Zionist—not at my expense. The tens of billions of shekels we will save on yeshiva-student allowances, municipal tax discounts, daycare subsidies, and the “Price for a Resident” program will be transferred in full *only* to the serving and working public. This will happen immediately. From day one. The result will be that, fairly quickly, many Haredim will decide of their own free will to enlist, because of market forces, economic forces. My estimate is that out of 100,000 people liable for conscription, within a year we will manage to bring in about a fifth of them, 15,000-20,000. And that is exactly what the IDF is missing today. That number will send tens of thousands of reservists home. Because one regular-duty soldier=12 reservists. This is the plan. No exemptions. No negotiations and “dialogue” with Deri and Gafni. But there is also no need for arrests and tanks in Bnei Brak. We simply stop the money for anyone who does not serve the state, regardless of whether he is a Haredi draft dodger, secular, Jewish, or Arab. I grew up in the business sector. I understand economics and incentives. This is the only method that has not been tried until now, and it is the only method that will work.
Translated from HebrewNetanyahu’s weekly condemnation of the riots in Qusra shows how powerless he is against Ben Gvir. The riots in Qusra do not represent the settlement movement and harm it. They endanger IDF soldiers, destroy what remains of Israel’s good name, and contradict every Jewish value. Soon we will put an end to the chaos and restore law and order everywhere in the State of Israel. Together we will fix it.
Translated from HebrewUntil October 7, every Friday evening I will dedicate a special post to one of the heroes and heroines we lost in this difficult war. Today I will share a story about Elhanan Kalmanson that you may not have known. ** On October 7, Elhanan Kalmanson sprang into action on his own initiative from his home in Otniel, and without receiving an order raced to the Gaza-border communities to fight and save lives. He led an improvised team made up of his brother Menachem and his nephew Itiel, known as "Elhanan's Team," and they fought with extraordinary bravery inside Kibbutz Be'eri to rescue civilians from the massacre. Amid the fighting in Be'eri, Elhanan and his brother were informed about an elderly woman with severe hearing loss who needed to be rescued. Before Elhanan entered her home, his brother Menachem made it clear to him that they had no time to delay and pack because the kibbutz was still crawling with terrorists. "No hearing aids, no medications. Everything can be bought later. You go in, take her, and get out. Every moment is critical." But Elhanan lingered in the house, and only after a few minutes did he leave it together with the woman, her medications, and her hearing aid. Menachem was angry, and Elhanan explained to him: "These people must not leave their homes as refugees. We must pay attention not only to getting them out, but also to how we get them out. They must leave the house like human beings, with their heads held high". ** That day, Elhanan's Team rescued about one hundred (!) kibbutz residents with their own hands and saved their lives. After sixteen straight hours of fighting, Elhanan was engaged by the enemy and fell in battle. We will not forget him or his bravery, and we will do everything to make things right and be worthy. Shabbat shalom, my brothers and sisters
Translated from Hebrew
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