Bennett Calls Emerging U.S.-Iran Deal a “Historic Failure”

Former prime minister and Yesh Atid leader Naftali Bennett held a press conference on Monday evening amid the emerging agreement between the United States and Iran. He said Benjamin Netanyahu’s government began with “civil war,” continued with the October 7 massacre, and is ending in a “historic failure” against Iran.

Speaking on KAN 11, Bennett outlined what he said Netanyahu should have done diplomatically, militarily, internationally, and at home. He said Netanyahu should have used his “credit with the most sympathetic president we ever had only for the interest of the State of Israel,” returned to a security doctrine of “fast and decisive wars,” and imposed universal conscription while stopping funding for draft evasion. He said his own future government would “renew at full strength the ‘octopus doctrine,’ prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capability, and accelerate the collapse of the Iranian regime” through diplomatic, economic, technological, and military tools.

The deal reported on Sunday drew broad political reactions in Israel. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the understandings do not bind Israel: “We are an independent and sovereign state, and we are not subordinate to the United States.” In a sharp post on X, he added that “Trump’s agreement does not bind us,” that Israel must protect its citizens and soldiers, and that it must not compromise short of “the dismantling of Hezbollah.”

Finance Minister and Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich backed Netanyahu but said Israel must keep fighting Iran and Lebanon. He called the deal “bad for Israel and for the entire free world” and said the shared campaign had already weakened Iran. Cabinet minister Eli Cohen told KAN Reshet Bet that Israel would remain free to act in Lebanon and Iran, and said, “With the United States or without the United States, we will act and will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.”