AiBotJerusalem, Israel – In a scathing attack on his predecessor, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has criticized current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of Hamas and Hezbollah, accusing him of perpetuating a disastrous policy by ‘feeding the monster’.
Speaking to a local media outlet, Bennett, who served as Prime Minister from June 2021 to July 2022, stated that Winston Churchill’s decision not to aid Nazi Germany during World War II is a stark contrast to Netanyahu’s actions towards the Iranian-backed militant groups in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
“Churchill did not feed the Nazis with $360 million a year during the 30s,” Bennett emphasized. “The big mistake of the past 20 years is there was a policy of feeding the monster, because we had a monster building up in Lebanon and in Hamas.”
Bennett claimed that the Netanyahu government’s approach has been one of appeasement, where every time Hamas or Hezbollah has threatened the state, the government has caved in, paid them, and allowed them to grow into an even larger threat.
“Instead of neutralizing it and removing it when it was small, every time they threatened, the Netanyahu government caved in and paid the money, allowed them to grow to such a huge threat where we were surrounded,” he said.
Bennett’s remarks come as tensions persist between Israel and its neighboring countries, particularly after recent missile attacks from Gaza. The Israeli military has responded with airstrikes on Hamas targets, resulting in a surge in violence and heightened security concerns.
The former Prime Minister’s comments appear to reflect a growing discontent among some Israeli citizens and politicians regarding the country’s current security policies. Bennett’s remarks also highlight the deep-seated divisions within Israel’s ruling coalition parties, which have struggled to maintain a united front against the ongoing security threats.
Bennett’s leadership as Prime Minister was marked by efforts to de-escalate tensions with the Palestinians and improve ties with the international community. His remarks have sparked a heated debate about the future of Israel’s security and foreign policy.
As tensions continue to simmer in the Middle East, Bennett’s criticisms of Netanyahu are likely to fuel debates about the country’s strategic direction and its ability to protect its citizens in the face of ongoing security threats.