Bennett presents his security concept: "If Hezbollah shoots at us - we shoot at Iran"

Former Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Naftali Bennett presented today, Wednesday, the security concept with which he will lead his campaign in the October 27 elections, at a special conference of the "Beyad" party.

In the military field, Bennett placed the issue of Haredi conscription at the center. He noted that the IDF is short of about 20,000 soldiers, while about 100,000 healthy young Haredim do not serve. He pledged that in the next government under his leadership, "we will draft everyone, without exemptions and without schemes." Bennett attacked the various exemption schemes, stating: "The moment you start with ideas like a 30% exemption, committees, and schemes... we know from experience exactly how it will end, in nothing." He promised that instead of a "small and smart army," a "large, proactive, and lethal army" will be built.

From the military arena, Bennett moved to the social-educational arena, where he called to "dismantle the Haredi state in order to save the Zionist state." According to him, in the next government, financial transfers to institutions that do not teach mathematics, English, and Zionism will be stopped. He proposed establishing "one excellent state education system for all children of Israel, including our Haredi brothers." Bennett linked the move to economic-national security, arguing that without excellent education, "who will produce the next Iron Dome?"

A New Security Concept

In his "breaking concepts" speech, Bennett listed four security perceptions that he claims are wrong, and which he intends to change in the next government:

1. Reversing the equation against Hezbollah and Iran: The current government's approach, where Iran fires at Israel in response to strikes in Lebanon, must be broken. Instead, any fire from Hezbollah will lead to Israeli strikes in Iran itself.

2. Defining Qatar as an enemy state: Bennett rejected the perception that it is a "complex state." "Anyone who does not understand this after October 7 is not worthy of leading Israel," he said.

3. Removing Turkey and Qatar from Gaza's "day after" arrangements: Both countries must be removed from Gaza and replaced by Egypt, alongside maintaining the IDF's freedom of action in the Strip.

4. Addressing illegal weapons: Bennett argued that about half a million illegal weapons are circulating within the country's borders. He stated that it is necessary to stop treating this as a criminal problem and define it as a security threat. Within this framework, the IDF and the Shin Bet will be activated, and locations where weapons are found will be declared closed military zones until the area is cleared.

Bennett also argued that "in the not-too-distant future, AI capabilities will be even more important than nuclear weapons."