Bennett’s sharp reversal on West Bank settlement policy

On February 24, 2021, Naftali Bennett, then the leader of Yamina, visited the West Bank outpost of Shdema Boaz in Gush Etzion and told settlers that if he became prime minister he would sign off on full approval for young settlements on his first day in office. He accused Benjamin Netanyahu of doing nothing for 12 years to legalize the community and framed the issue as one of political courage, saying, “It is possible, you just need to stop being afraid.”

That promise is now being contrasted with Bennett’s remarks at a JNS conference this morning, where he was asked about enforcement and evacuations in Judea and Samaria. Speaking in English, he no longer promised rapid legalization. Instead, he said, “I am a right-wing man, but I am not a shmuck,” a line presented as a blunt explanation for why he will not act as many of his earlier supporters expected.

The article says the remark amounts to a rejection of the expectation that Bennett would ignore American pressure or the attorney general over a few caravans in Gush Etzion. What he once described as Netanyahu’s fear, the piece says, he now calls political realism. The change is portrayed as especially painful for residents of Shdema Boaz and the young settlement movement, who had hoped Bennett would deliver legal status and basic infrastructure.

The commentary closes by arguing that the gap between Bennett’s 2021 pledge and his current stance is not just a matter of time, but of integrity, casting his earlier criticism of Netanyahu as something he now applies to himself.