Bennett Confronted Over 2018 Disaster at Campaign Event

A heated exchange erupted at a joint campaign event for Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid in Modi'in on Thursday evening, when the mother of a victim of the 2018 Zofit Stream disaster confronted Bennett about his responsibility during his tenure as Minister of Education.

The confrontation began with a question about Transportation Minister Miri Regev and alleged failures related to a Flydubai flight. Bennett responded that Regev is "the most failed transportation minister in the country's history, without competition" and that "a committee of inquiry should be established" over the matter. He illustrated the severity by suggesting a hypothetical scenario where 1,200 Israelis were killed in a plane crash.

At this point, the questioner identified herself as Rotem Bar-Shalom, mother of Ilan Bar-Shalom, who died in the Zofit Stream disaster in 2018 while Bennett served as Education Minister. She challenged Bennett, asking why he did not resign and why he did not ensure oversight of the preparatory programs, or "mechinot," where the disaster occurred. Bar-Shalom also accused Bennett of opposing the establishment of an inquiry committee at the time.

Bennett stated that he personally visited ten bereaved families after the disaster and did not evade responsibility. However, Bar-Shalom interrupted him, insisting that he had opposed an inquiry committee then and questioning the difference between his past stance and his current call for one. The two engaged in a dispute over whether Bennett had supported an inquiry at the time, with Bennett claiming he did and Bar-Shalom asserting he lied and did not agree.

The event concluded with Bar-Shalom and her partner leaving the hall amidst angry shouts directed at the audience, who had interrupted the discussion.