Bennett pledges to maintain Yellow Line in Gaza, declare Qatar enemy state, redirect national funds

Naftali Bennett pledged at the Gaza Border Communities Conference 2026 to maintain the Yellow Line in Gaza, declare Qatar an enemy state, and redirect national funds from the haredi community to Gaza border communities. He criticized Netanyahu's approach as complacent toward Hamas and said he would enlist Egypt and use military action if needed.

Former prime minister and B'Yachad party leader Naftali Bennett pledged to maintain the Yellow Line in Gaza and declare Qatar an enemy state if elected, speaking at the Gaza Border Communities Conference 2026 on Sunday. Bennett accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of complacency, saying its approach is to 'get us used to living alongside Hamas' with no real attempt to eliminate it. He criticized Netanyahu's ties with Qatar and called on him to explain his and his advisers' relationship with Qatar before the election. To defeat Hamas, Bennett said he would designate Qatar an enemy, enlist Egypt, apply diplomatic and economic pressure, and resort to military action if necessary. He also claimed he advanced a plan to kill Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif in summer 2022 that fell through due to his government's collapse. Bennett called for a 'revolution for those who serve,' redirecting funds from the haredi community to Gaza border communities, and said he intended to form a coalition of Zionist parties that could secure 61 Knesset seats. He said he respected Gadi Eisenkot and would accept the voters' decision on the premiership.