Naftali Bennett's Election Visit Ends in Chaos With Bottle Thrown

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

According to Bennett's party, the initial meeting was positive. However, the atmosphere reportedly changed when extremist activists arrived, including right-wing activist Mordechai David. During an altercation, 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 allegedly then attempted to block Bennett's car as he was leaving.

The incident escalated when a glass bottle was thrown towards Bennett. He was unharmed, and police quickly arrested a suspect for questioning. The police stated that the object thrown did not hit the public figure. The "Achva" party claimed two objects were thrown, one of which hit a female staff member on the head, though she required no further medical attention and was reportedly feeling well.

Further controversy arose regarding the coordination of Bennett's visit. The restaurant is owned by the son of Yahadut HaTorah chairman Yaakov Asher, who claimed the visit was not pre-arranged. Bennett's team, however, stated they had arrived an hour prior, inspected the premises, and informed staff of Bennett's expected arrival.

Following the events, Bennett thanked security forces and indicated he would continue his campaign meetings across the country.