Likud Minister Shikli Reveals His Version of Heated 2021 Private Meeting with Netanyahu and Bennett

More than five years after a private meeting in Ra'anana, Likud Minister Amichai Shikli and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett offer sharply contrasting accounts of their conversation in early May 2021, just before the formation of the Bennett-Lapid government. The dispute reignited after Bennett mentioned the talk in a Channel 12 interview, claiming Shikli promised to resign if his conscience prevented him from supporting the coalition, acknowledging he entered the Knesset thanks to Bennett.

Shikli responded by publicly sharing his version, stating he usually keeps private talks confidential but felt released from that obligation after Bennett spoke publicly. According to Shikli, the meeting on May 5, 2021, consisted of two parts. The first was calm and friendly, with Bennett assuring him he intended to form a broad national government, not a left-wing one, and that there was still room to maneuver. Shikli left cautiously optimistic.

However, after Shikli began traveling north, Bennett called him back to Ra'anana, where the atmosphere changed dramatically. Shikli described Bennett as losing control, becoming agitated, and nearly crying, demanding to know why Shikli refused to "return the mandate". Shikli replied that the mandate belongs to the voters, not to them personally or to the party leader. This exchange marks the core disagreement: Bennett says Shikli committed to resigning if he could not support the coalition, while Shikli claims Bennett demanded his resignation if a national government was not formed, which he refused.

Shikli further recounted that in the following days, amid security tensions including Hamas rocket fire, Bennett indicated a coalition with Ra'am was off the table. Bennett also pressured Shikli to attack Benjamin Netanyahu on Twitter to push for a right-wing government and asked him to avoid media interviews and meet again, but Shikli was called up for reserve duty. On May 27, after reports of a Bennett-Lapid agreement, Shikli accused Bennett of lying to him.

Shikli concluded with a harsh personal attack on Bennett, calling him "the Madoff of Israeli politics" and accusing him of betrayal far worse than just betraying voters.