Bennett Defends Past Coalition, Sets New Terms for Future Government

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reiterated his support for his past decision to form a government with the backing of the Arab Ra'am party, led by Mansour Abbas. He stated that his views on religion and state, and LGBTQ+ rights have evolved, and he now advocates for full equality for the LGBTQ+ community. Bennett emphasized that he does not regret forming the government with Ra'am, noting that Israel had endured four election cycles at the time, and Benjamin Netanyahu himself had sought Abbas's support. "I stand by this decision. We went through four rounds of elections, and Netanyahu begged Mansour Abbas to join, and they had already agreed on everything," Bennett said. He also claimed that Itamar Ben-Gvir was prepared to support the government externally. However, Bennett indicated his approach to forming a government has changed, stating that any future government should be based solely on Zionist parties adhering to core principles. He explicitly ruled out joining a government with Netanyahu, stating, "Netanyahu is going home, we will not be with him in the government." While open to negotiating with Mansour Abbas again, Bennett outlined new conditions for coalition building. He acknowledged shifts in his personal stances on certain issues, reaffirming his opposition to territorial concessions to Israel's enemies and the establishment of a Palestinian state. "My views on some issues have changed. I still will not give the enemy an inch of Israeli land and will not create a Palestinian state. But my positions on religion and state, and LGBTQ+ rights have changed a lot. I used to be very conservative, and now I have become less conservative," Bennett explained, adding his current support for unconditional LGBTQ+ rights. When asked about Netanyahu, Bennett expressed distrust, stating, "I do not trust Netanyahu. Zero."