Bennett: 'Israel' is in a tailspin of division and poison

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media + Al Mayadeen
28 Sep 2023 23:41
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Bennett's comments come at a time of heightened tensions within Israeli society as protests against the occupation's government go into their 39th consecutive week.

(L to R) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attend the funeral of an Israeli Orthodox rabbi Haim Drukman, in 1948 occupied Palestinian territories, on December 26, 2022. (AFP)

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said there is a time for everything when he was asked if he is willing to return to power in an interview for The Jewish Chronicle.

He told the Israeli newspaper that during his term as the head of the occupation's cabinet, he formed the most unlikely government in an attempt to prevent the severe internal division that "Israel" is witnessing today.

"I did it knowingly because what we now have is exactly what I tried to prevent: Israel going into a tailspin of division and poison."

Bennet's comments come at a time of heightened tensions within Israeli society as protests against the occupation's government go into their 39th consecutive week.

"Israel" is witnessing mass demonstrations due to several laws that Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition government seeks to implement, including the Heredim conscription law and a comprehensive judicial overhaul.

Through the proposed amendments, Netanyahu's government seeks to offer ultra-orthodox jews a way out of serving in the occupation army and weaken the authority of the occupation's Supreme Court.

Moreover, Israeli media outlets have reported that Hamas has forced the Israeli government to allow Gazan workers into occupied territories after a days-long ban on their entry into Palestinian territories occupied in 1948.

On September 25, delegates of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad in Palestine (PIJ), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) held a summit in Beirut, Lebanon, where the Resistance factions agreed to escalate their confrontation against the Israeli occupation and work to enhance coordination among themselves.

Israeli media outlets paid special attention to the meeting that brought together leaders of the Palestinian Resistance, noting that the summit's proceedings strongly suggest that the Resistance is planning to intensify its activities not only in the West Bank and Gaza but also in other potential locations.

Itai Blumenthal, a military affairs expert for the Israeli channel Kan, said the IOF's leadership has acknowledged that the situation is heading toward escalation in the Gaza Strip, adding that another battalion of occupation forces was added to the IOF's Gaza division on the eve of Yom Kippur.

Recently, the commander of the 162nd Division in the Israeli occupation army, Brigadier General Nadav Lotan, stated that the threat of a multi-front war against "Israel" has become more realistic, as military scenarios suggest a possible all-out war that includes Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and the occupied Palestinian territories in 1948, as well as the Syria and missile threats from as far as Iraq and Yemen.