Bennett’s team blocks bereaved father on social media, then apologizes

The bereaved father says that he supported Bennett before the last elections, but not anymore.

By Gil Tanenbaum/TPS and WIN Staff

It seems like Herzl Hajaj, the father of fallen Israeli soldier Lt. Shir Hajaj, has annoyed Prime Minister Naftali Bennett with his heated rhetoric against the PM’s government, to the point where the Israeli premier has now blocked Hajaj on his Twitter account.

Bennett’s social media team unblocked the bereaved father a few hours later, stating that it was done by mistake and issuing an apology.

“The block was done innocently and by mistake. As soon as it was noticed, the block was removed and an apology was sent to the Hajaj family,” a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office read.

Hajaj says that he supported Bennett before the last elections, but not anymore. The inclusion of the Arab Ra’am Party in the current coalition government and concessions made to it by the government caused Mr. Hajaj to turn against Bennett and his Yamina Party.

Yamina was originally founded out of the remnants of the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party and the old National Religious Party, as well as other right-wing parties and was supposed to be a coalition of right-wing factions. Yamina was considered a natural coalition partner for Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud and Bennett himself had served as a minister in Netanyahu-led governments in the past.

But last June, when it became clear that Netanyahu would not be able to form a government, and that new elections would once again need to be held – the fifth election round in just 2 years – Bennet agreed to have Yamina join left-wing parties, included an Arab party, in a new coalition government in which he became the prime minister.

“I was also blocked by the Prime Minister of Terror Naftali Bennett,” tweeted Hajaj, “who knew how to ask us to support him in the election, and now he is unable to deal with my criticism of the formation of his government with the terrorist supporting Ra’am Party.”

“[but] now he can continue to embrace Abbas who supports the terrorists quietly and without criticism without us reminding him of the truth,” added Hajaj.

On January 8, 2017, Shir Hajaj was one of four soldiers killed in a terrorist attack in Jerusalem. The terrorist rammed into a group of soldiers on a tour with the truck that he was driving.

Hajaj was on a soldiers’ educational trip in Jerusalem when the group was attacked. Herzl Hajaj

Hajaj professed a few days ago that he and others are, “waiting for Israel to declare RAAM and all its associations as terrorist organizations.”

Shir Hajaj was a native of Ma’ale Adumim and a graduate of Ort Dekel Vilna’i High School in the city. She was an officer in the Intelligence Corps and was serving as an educational officer in the Intelligence Corps’ officer’s training course. Shir was survived by her parents and three sisters. She was posthumously promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant after she was killed and was buried in the Mt. Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem.

Bereaved familiesFallen SoldiersNaftali BennettShir HajajSocial media