Bennett: Deri and Gafni will not be part of a government under my leadership
Naftali Bennett declared that ultra-Orthodox party leaders cannot join his future government due to their opposition to military conscription. He also labeled settler violence as "terror," proposed a plan to combat market monopolies, and warned of the dire situation in northern Israel.
In a conversation on 103fm radio, former Prime Minister and Yachad party chairman Naftali Bennett explained why ultra-Orthodox party leaders would be excluded from a future government under his leadership: "Deri and Gafni cannot be part of this government because they will not allow a single ultra-Orthodox person to be drafted."
"Who is talking about bringing Deri in? He is the one leading the draft evasion. He went around encouraging young ultra-Orthodox, even those who do not study Torah, telling them: 'Do not enlist.' It is clear that a person who boasts that his grandchildren are deserters cannot be part of the cabinet. A draft dodger will not sit in the government; it is unacceptable that Deri sends our children to Lebanon or Gaza while he boasts that his grandchildren are deserters."
Bennett also addressed settler violence: "There are 550,000 Israelis in Judea and Samaria, the vast majority of whom are law-abiding. They serve in the reserves and pay taxes. There is a minority that breaks the law, and the law must be enforced against them with a strong hand."
Regarding administrative detentions, he stated: "Where it is relevant, yes; where it is not, no. I am not afraid of it." When asked if he defines such violent acts as Jewish terror, Bennett replied: "This minority, and I emphasize—a minority, certainly uses terror. When you attack citizens to instill fear, that is terror. Burning a house with its occupants is not Judaism; these are not our values. The law is the law."
He spoke about his new routine: "For two weeks now, I have started every morning at the induction center (Bakum) for about an hour and a half, meeting recruits. Then I travel across the country. Yesterday I was in Kiryat Shmona, Hatzor HaGlilit, and the Hula Valley."
Bennett also presented a plan to lower the cost of living, attributing high prices to market concentration: "How do you lower prices by 30%? The basic problem is the lack of real competition. For instance, Strauss holds 75% of the dairy dessert market, and Unilever holds 90% of the mayonnaise market. They ensure they do not compete with each other. It takes courage to fix this, and I owe nothing to any monopoly or tycoon—I am simply for the public."
He concluded with a warning about the north: "The situation in Kiryat Shmona is a catastrophe. 60% of the city is still empty, and it will remain that way without dramatic action. The further north you go, the more difficult the situation becomes, and the younger generation is not staying there."
