Naftali Bennett's Campaign Stop Ends in Chaos with Bottle Throwing

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's campaign visit to a restaurant in Bnei Brak on Thursday devolved into a chaotic confrontation, culminating in a bottle being thrown towards him. Bennett, now chairman of the "Achim" party, was meeting with yeshiva students and young Haredi men at "Motis - The Tcholent Shop" as part of his election campaign.

According to the "Achim" party, the initial discussion was positive. However, the atmosphere reportedly soured when "extreme activists" arrived, including right-wing activist Mordechai David, who attempted to approach Bennett and was restrained by security. During their exchange, Bennett told David, "I suggest you enlist quickly, because from the moment I am prime minister, you won't get a shekel from the state." David later allegedly tried to block Bennett's vehicle as he was leaving.

The incident escalated when a glass bottle was thrown in Bennett's direction amidst the commotion. Bennett was unharmed, and police apprehended a suspect at the scene for questioning. The police stated that the object thrown did not hit the public figure.

The "Achim" party offered a different account, claiming two objects were thrown and that one struck a female staff member on the head. They reported she received first aid and was released without further medical attention, and Bennett later spoke with her, confirming she felt fine.

Further controversy arose regarding the coordination of Bennett's visit. The restaurant is owned by the son of United Torah Judaism chairman Yaakov Asher, who claimed Bennett's arrival was not pre-arranged. Bennett's team, however, asserted that their staff had arrived an hour prior, cleared the location, and informed employees of Bennett's expected arrival.

Following the event, the "Achim" party stated Bennett thanked security forces and vowed to continue his campaign meetings across the country.