New Right leader to Netanyahu: ‘Stop being afraid of terrorists’

Naftali Bennett charges that Prime Minister Netanyahu is too soft on terrorists. 

By David Jablinowitz, World Israel News

New Right party leader Naftali Bennett took to social media Monday in the aftermath of a car-ramming attack in which an Israeli soldier was seriously hurt, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu act swiftly against terrorists.

The prime minister himself posted on Twitter Monday morning, saying that he had demanded an accelerated process towards demolishing the homes of the terrorists involved in the early morning attack.

Home demolitions are meant as a deterrent towards discouraging other would-be terrorists from carrying out attacks. However, they have faced court battles, and the Palestinian Authority is said to offer reconstruction if not upgraded housing to the families.

In response to Netanyahu’s statement, Bennett tweeted to his followers: “Remember that after the horrific murder of Ori Ansbacher, of blessed memory, Netanyahu dispatched people to ‘measure the home of the terrorist in order to demolish it,’ and he issued a series of strong statements to the media? Well, to this very moment, Netanyahu has not issued an order to demolish the murderer’s home. You’ve heard correctly.”

Earlier in the morning, Bennett tweeted: “Stop being afraid of the terrorists already, Mr. Netanyahu. The terrorists are threatening to get annoyed if you take away their illegal cellphones in jail, so we give in?

“What are you waiting for, honorable defense minister and prime minister? Block it from them today already,” urged Bennett, referring to the fact that Netanyahu has also held the defense portfolio since November when Avigdor Liberman resigned.

Bennett serves in the current government as education and diaspora affairs minister as well as a member of the security cabinet. When Liberman resigned, he initially demanded the defense portfolio and threatened to resign otherwise, but then backed off.

In the April Knesset election, his New Right party is fighting Netanyahu’s Likud for the right-wing vote. However, Bennett has said that his party would join a Netanyahu-led government after the election despite the attorney general’s announced intention to have the prime minister indicted on corruption charges, pending a hearing. Only once a final indictment is issued, said Bennett, would his party convene to decide whether to part ways with Netanyahu.