Former PM Bennett Warns of IDF Collapse Over Draft Law

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett delivered a strong address at the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, issuing what he termed an urgent strategic security warning regarding the current government's policies. Bennett accused the government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of dismantling the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) through its handling of the draft law, which he claims is already costing soldiers' lives.

Bennett stated that the IDF Chief of Staff has raised numerous red flags about a critical shortage of 20,000 combat soldiers, but that Netanyahu, along with ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Aryeh Deri, are ignoring these warnings. He specifically criticized the government's approach to conscripting ultra-Orthodox men, contrasting the soldiers' plea to be reinforced with the government's perceived stance of "we will die rather than enlist." Bennett warned that if ultra-Orthodox men are not drafted in the upcoming term, the IDF will collapse.

He further linked the upcoming elections to the military's future, urging voters not to support the "evasion coalition," which he asserted would directly harm IDF soldiers and reservists. Bennett pledged that his movement would ensure everyone is drafted, cut funding to draft dodgers, and strengthen the IDF.

Bennett also referenced a recent incident in Bnei Brak on September 25, where a political visit to a restaurant turned confrontational. After being heckled by a crowd, Bennett responded sharply to an activist attempting to block his path, threatening to cut off state funding if he became prime minister. The event escalated when a salt shaker was thrown, hitting a female staff member, and the suspect was arrested.