Transportation Minister Miri Regev Backs Netanyahu, Dismisses Bennett Ahead of Israeli Elections
In a detailed interview on Channel 7, Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev expressed strong confidence that the Likud party is on track for victory in the upcoming elections. She supported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to reserve spots for new candidates on the party list, describing the move as a significant vote of confidence in his leadership and a strategy to broaden Likud's appeal to centrist voters.
Regev dismissed claims of a strained relationship between Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, noting their eighth meeting since Trump took office and emphasizing the importance of balancing Israel's and the U.S.'s security interests. On Iran, she reiterated Netanyahu's firm stance that Iran must not become a nuclear power and that any agreements with Tehran are unreliable.
Addressing domestic issues, Regev discussed her efforts to prevent transferring all fuel operators at Ben Gurion Airport to the military, which would have disrupted thousands of civilian flights. She highlighted ongoing security challenges in the West Bank, describing Israel as engaged in a continuous war against terrorism, and expressed distrust in the Palestinian Authority's efforts to prevent terror attacks. She called for the complete dismantling of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza.
Regev strongly rejected the term "Jewish terror," arguing it harms Israel internationally and praised the new Shin Bet chief for a different enforcement approach. She also detailed infrastructure developments in the West Bank, calling it "de facto sovereignty," including new roads and public transportation projects aimed at reducing car dependency.
On the contentious draft law, Regev expressed disappointment that it did not pass but vowed it would succeed in the next Knesset session, noting a shift in the ultra-Orthodox community's attitude toward military service since the October 7 attacks. She dismissed election polls as unreliable, citing widespread grassroots support for Netanyahu and the right-wing.
Regev criticized former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as irrelevant and was cautious about Gadi Eizenkot's leadership prospects, warning that Eizenkot could only form a government with left-wing and Arab parties. She concluded by urging right-wing voters not to waste votes on small parties unlikely to pass the electoral threshold and to support Likud to ensure victory.
