Netanyahu's Knesset Speech Sparks Political Firestorm

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a sharp political speech during a festive ceremony marking the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset, accusing Arab parties of denying Israel's right to exist and warning against forming a government with them. He also called for national unity to face existential threats, particularly from Iran, and highlighted his government's alleged achievements against terror groups and Iran's military infrastructure.

Netanyahu asserted that Iran continues its nuclear program despite efforts to halt it, and that only the toppling of the regime can permanently remove the threat. He claimed his government had "eliminated" key figures in terror organizations and significantly damaged Iran's naval and air forces, thereby changing the face of the Middle East.

His remarks about Arab parties, suggesting they differ only on whether an Islamic or Palestinian state should rise on the ruins of a Jewish state, prompted some lawmakers, including Yair Golan and members of Arab parties, to walk out. Netanyahu questioned the idea of forming a government with parties he characterized as "terror supporters and haters of Israel," contrasting them with "Zionist parties."

During the speech, Naftali Bennett, chairman of the Yamina party, interrupted Netanyahu, demanding answers about the investigation into the October 7th events and his advisors from Qatar. Netanyahu continued his speech without responding. Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism party, retorted to Bennett, accusing him of hypocrisy for sitting with the Joint List.

Following the speech, Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yesh Atid party, called Netanyahu's address "delusional, divisive, hateful, and embarrassing," stating it further convinced him of the outgoing prime minister's unfitness for office and urging the urgent formation of a national emergency government. Bennett told Channel 12 that "this is not how you build unity." Yair Golan posted on social media that Netanyahu "finds it hard to internalize that the Israeli public fired him" and is "lying and inciting against the Arab public in an attempt to cling to power by force."

Mansour Abbas, chairman of Ra'am, told Channel 12 that Netanyahu "fabricates blood libels against us" and "endangered the security of the citizens of Israel," claiming Netanyahu knew money was going to Hamas's military wing and that he had trusted Sinwar.