Bennett Slams US-Iran Understanding as a Historic Failure, Netanyahu to Respond

Former prime minister and Yesh Atid? no, chair of the Yachad party Naftali Bennett sharply attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night in response to the understanding reached between Washington and Tehran. Bennett said Netanyahu’s government was ending in a “historic failure” on Iran, speaking shortly before Netanyahu was due to make his first public statement on the deal and take questions from reporters.

Bennett opened by praising what he called the extraordinary bravery and ingenuity of Israel’s soldiers and security forces during the “1,000-day war,” but argued that the political leadership had failed. He said Netanyahu’s term began with civil strife, continued through the October 7 massacre, and was now concluding with failure against Iran.

He outlined an alternative approach, saying he would use relations with the U.S. president solely to advance Israel’s interests. Militarily, he said he would return to “fast, strong and decisive wars” instead of what he called Netanyahu’s “dragging strategy.” Bennett also called for a universal draft law and an end to what he described as financing draft evasion, arguing that manpower shortages are hurting the IDF’s ability to win the war.

On Iran, Bennett urged a revival of the “octopus doctrine,” under which Israel would simultaneously block Iran’s path to nuclear weapons and weaken the regime in Tehran. “With one hand, prevent Iran from breaking out to a bomb, and with the other, accelerate the collapse of the regime with diplomatic, economic, technological and military tools,” he said. He ended by linking Iran policy to Israeli politics, claiming that “the countdown to replacing the regime in Iran will begin when the regime in Israel is replaced.” Netanyahu was expected to speak at 9:00 p.m., after Israeli officials had largely avoided public reactions to the Washington-Tehran understandings. His statement came amid heightened tension with Washington after the Israeli Air Force strike in Beirut’s Dahiyeh, carried out in response to Hezbollah fire at Israel, which angered the White House over concerns it could derail talks with Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump later sent Netanyahu harsh messages.