‘Bennett twiddling his thumbs while Iran goes nuclear,’ charges Netanyahu

Bennett’s office fired back, accusing Netanyahu of failing to deal with the Iranian threat during his years in power.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

After a raucous Knesset session, during which opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett traded barbs, Netanyahu appeared to continue the feud in an op-ed published in Israel Hayom on Wednesday.

In the piece, Netanyahu wrote that Bennett is not working hard enough to mitigate the threat of a nuclear Iran, specifically citing the new government’s more diplomatic regarding US policy on Iran.

After a series of public clashes which critics said caused friction between the US and Israel, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid promised that Jerusalem would maintain a “no surprises” policy towards Washington with regards to  Iran.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said disputes between the two allies would be resolved in private, rather than in a public forum.

This approach, Netanyahu wrote, means that Bennett and Lapid have “abandoned the fight for global public opinion.

“Instead of speaking out publicly and clearly to sway American public opinion in Israel’s favor and against returning to the nuclear deal, the current government is doing nothing.

“Only by speaking powerfully publicly will they listen to you seriously privately,” he warned.

The new government’s softer approach “stems from a lack of understanding or a lack of ability or a lethal combination of the two,” Netanyahu wrote.

“No one can hear this government’s voice. It has nothing to say, and no one is listening anyway. Like a tree falling in the forest that no one sees, or hears, or cares about.”

Bennett’s office fired back, accusing Netanyahu of failing to deal with the Iranian threat during his years in power.

“Opposition Leader Netanyahu’s statement on the Iranian nuclear issue is unbelievable, even by his standards,” read a statement from Bennett’s office.

“He was prime minister for 12 years, and up until one month ago, it was his neglect which allowed Iran to get the farthest it has ever gotten in terms of the development of its nuclear program. In terms of results, that is a serious failure. He knows it, and is trying to dump the responsibility at someone else’s feet.”

Benjamin Netanyahuiran nuclear programIranian threatNaftali BennettUS Mideast policyUS-Israel relations